Aberdeen: Inflatable pools must be emptied or fenced BY JOHN SUTTON Correspondent ABERDEEN - The township Building Department has notified residents with inflatable swimming pools that can hold at least 2 feet of water that these pools require barriers around them in accordance with state laws. These regulations are the same that apply to in-ground and above-ground pools, where owners are required to have a swimming pool barrier, specifically a fence with a self-locking gate. The notification was provoked by officials noticing many large inflatable pools full of standing water left in the open at night, according to Township Manager Stuart Brown. The primary concern is that children will see these pools in an unfenced area and possibly drown in them if they are not protected. "It is not a crisis that has happened, not necessarily in Aberdeen," Brown said. "Unfortunately, you can't watch kids 24 hours a day, and to leave a foot-and-a-half of water out in an unfenced area is a problem." Brown would advise those who are looking to buy a less expensive pool to think ahead about the safety issues before they make the purchase. "When you see that pool for $99 in the store, think about what you're going to do with it, and how you're going to make it safe before you buy it," Brown said. Inflatable pools that can contain water at least 2 feet deep are allowed to be in an unfenced area as long as the owners dump them out when they are finished using them at night. The township has been giving courtesy warnings to those who are not complying with the regulations regarding pools on their property. So far, Brown said, inflatable pool owners have reacted in a friendly way when they have been approached about complying with the regulations. "We are trying to just remind people to use common sense with things that are supposed to be in your backyard," Brown said. "Our goal is only safety here." Brown suggests that pools be put away unless they can comply with the regulations because it will not only protect the community around them, but also their own children, as it will create a controlled environment. "These things are on sale because it is in season," Brown said. "So people think, 'Oh, gee, I'll just throw one up in my backyard,' and they don't think about the safety aspect of it. That's what we're aiming for here."