Virginia Grammae Baker (VGB-2008) Pool Safety Law

See below for links to the Federal VGB Act text, California AB 1020 text and some forms used in San Diego County.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act requires that all "commercial" pools, spas and wading pools meet certain requirements for drain covers and main drain configurations. The new requirements went into effect Dec. 19, 2008. In California a "commercial" pool is anything that is not single family or duplex. These pools are sometimes referred to as "commercial," "public," or "semi-public." Since ALL drain covers must meet new requirements, if you are buying a drain cover for a residential pool it must meet the same requirements as those for commercial pools. The difference is residential pools are not required to retrofit, commercial pools are. The following information is for commercial pools.

Question: We just replaced our drain covers in March 2008 when the pool was drained (or remodeled or whatever). Do we have to replace them again?

Answer: ALL new drain covers must meet new requirements. The law requires that ALL "drain" covers must be replaced with the new ones. "Drain" covers include main drain covers AND covers on ANY submerged pipe through which water leaves the pool (typically equalizer line covers, solar suction covers). Since the new standards were not finalized until about April 2008, and since the new covers could not be manufactured and tested until the standards were completed, the first covers were not available until about August 2008. So the answer is YES!

Question: Can we install any cover that fits the old frame?

Answer: Not necessarily. The cover flow rating must equal or exceed the maximum flow that could ever go through the drain. So some covers will need to be replaced with larger covers.

More to come...

Links to actual text of the Federal & Calif laws and some forms used in San Diego County

VGB Act text
This is the text of the Federal VGB Safety Act.  When you hear 5 different stories about what the law says then it's time to read it for yourself...

Calif AB 1020 text
Text of the California law which implements the VGB Safety Act in Calif, with deadlines.

San Diego County DEH Advisory, Dec. 2008
Dept. of Environmental Health Advisory tells which pool & spa VGB-related changes require a DEH permit and which don't.

San Diego County DEH Plan Check Requirements
Details of what needs to be included with the Permit Application.

San Diego County DEH Plan Check Application
Application form in case you can't find it at their website.