Bismarck Public Health’s Environmental Health Division licenses and regulates Public and Semi-Public Swimming Pools within the corporate limits of the City of Bismarck. This includes pools at hotels, motels, condominiums and apartment complexes. Environmental Health does not regulate residential swimming pools.Bismarck's Building Inspections Division enforces barrier protection for residential swimming pools. Contact Bismarck's Building Inspections Division at (701) 355-1465 if you have questions or concerns regarding residential swimming pools. 

"Swimming pool" means any structure, basin, chamber or tank containing an artificial body of water for swimming, diving, recreational bathing or whirlpools and treatment pools.

"Public swimming pool" means any swimming pool usually open to any member of the public.

"Semipublic swimming pool" means any swimming pool, other than a residential pool or a public pool, which is intended to be used collectively by numbers of persons for swimming or bathing regardless of whether a fee is charged for such use. This definition includes swimming pools located in condominium and apartment house complexes.

A person may not construct, alter or reconstruct any public or semipublic swimming pool without:

• Submitting the plans and specifications to the Environmental Health Division for approval. The plans must be drawn to scale and accompanied by proper specifications so as to permit a comprehensive engineering review of the plans including the piping and hydraulic details and must include:
  • Plan and sectional views with all necessary dimensions of both the pool and surrounding area.
  • A piping diagram showing all appurtenances including treatment facilities in sufficient detail, as well as appurtenant elevation data, to permit a hydraulic analysis of the system.
  • The specifications shall contain details on all treatment equipment, including catalog identification of pumps, chlorinators, chemical feeders, filters, strainers, interceptors and related equipment.

Operational Requirements for Public & Semi-public Pool Include: 

• Monthly bacteriological sampling - Bismarck Environmental Health staff collect pool samples monthly. 
• Swimming pool water must have sufficient clarity at all times so that the main drain or drains located at the deep end of the pool are clearly visible from the pool deck. 
• All public and semi-public pools must be equipped with automatic monitoring and chemical feeding equipment and shall disinfect the pool water by continuous chlorination or other elements in the halogen group (i.e. bromine or iodine).
• Pool operators must keep a daily record of operation of the recirculation system, chemical additions, pH and chlorine residuals and bathing load. Chlorine and pH testing must be performed and recorded at least three times daily (once a day for condominium/apartment pools due to the limited space). Fecal, vomit and blood contamination incidents shall be documented in the daily record. 

Bismarck Swimming Pool Ordinance

Bismarck Swimming Pool License Application

Environmental Health inspections for all licensed facilities, including swimming pool establishments, can be viewed online through Bismarck's eTRAKiT system.