PARK SANITATION 



897 



an aesthetic standpoint, but would not necessarily keep it fit for bathing 

 and other recreational purposes. If certain localities wish to go beyond 

 this specific minimum and keep their streams fit for recreational purposes, 

 the state department is perfectly willing, but it cannot compel this further 

 treatment. It will also determine whether or not specific methods of treat- 

 ment will bring about the result desired by many communities. 



This statement is no doubt fairly representative of the interpretation 

 of the powers of state health departments all over the country. A large 

 number of states have laws regarding the control of the pollution of streams, 

 the enforcement of which in most instances comes under the several depart- 

 ments of health. If the above statement is fairly representative of the 

 general attitude of state health departments respecting the recreational use 

 of streams, it is not likely that much help can be expected from this direc- 

 tion until a growing public sentiment maximizes the importance of streams 

 for recreational purposes. 



STATE LAWS RELATING TO SANITATION OF SWIMMING PLACES 



California. Assembly Bill No. 141, Chapter 63. An 

 act providing for the sanitation, healthfulness and 

 cleanliness and safety of swimming pools, public bath- 

 houses, swimming and bathing places; regulating the 

 granting and revocations of permits therefor from the 

 state board of health; providing for the inspection of 

 such places; declaring places and things in violation of 

 this act to be nuisances dangerous to health and pro- 

 viding for the abatement of the same; making violations 

 of this act misdemeanors; and providing for the punish- 

 ment of the same. (Approved April 6, 1917.) The 

 people of the State of California do enact as follows: 



Section I. The state board of health shall have super- 

 vision over the sanitation, healthfulness and cleanliness 

 and safety of swimming pools, bathhouses, public 

 swimming and bathing places and all related appurte- 

 nances and is hereby empowered to make and enforce 

 such rules and regulations pertaining thereto as it shall 

 deem proper. 



Section 2. It shall be unlawful for any person, per- 

 sons, firm, corporation, institution or municipality in 

 any district, town, city, county, or city and county, to 

 construct or to add to or modify, or to operate or to 

 continue to operate any swimming pool, public bath- 

 house, bathing or swimming place, or any structure 

 intended to be used for swimming or bathing purposes 

 without an unrevoked permit so to do from the state 

 board of health. This permit shall be obtained in the 

 following manner: any person, persons, firm, corpora- 

 tion, institution or municipality desiring to construct, 

 add to or modify, or to operate and maintain any 

 swimming pool, public bathhouse, bathing or swimming 

 places or structures intended to be used for swimming 

 or bathing purposes within the State of California shall 



file application for permission so to do with the state 

 board of health, which application shall be accompanied 

 by detailed maps, drawings, specifications and descrip- 

 tion of the structure, its appurtenances and operation, 

 description of the source or sources of water supply, 

 amount and quality of water available and intended to 

 be used, method and manner of water purification, 

 treatment, disinfection, heating, regulating and clean- 

 ing; life-saving apparatus, and measures to insure 

 safety of bathers; measures to insure personal cleanli- 

 ness of bathers; method and manner of washing, disin- 

 fecting, drying and storing bathing apparel and towels, 

 and all other information and statistics that may be 

 required by the state board of health; whereupon, the 

 state board of health shall cause an investigation to be 

 made of the proposed or existing pool or public bathing 

 places and if it shall determine as a fact that the same 

 is or may reasonably be expected to become unclean or 

 unsanitary or may constitute a menace to public health, 

 it shall deny the application for permit; if it shall de- 

 termine as a fact that the same is or may reasonably 

 be expected to be conducted continuously in a clean 

 and sanitary manner and will not constitute a menace 

 to public health, it shall grant the application for per- 

 mit under such restrictions as it shall deem proper. 



Section 3. For the purpose of this act the state board 

 of health or its inspectors shall at any and all reasonable 

 times have full power and authority to, and shall be 

 permitted to enter upon any and all parts of the prem- 

 ises of such bathing and swimming places to make ex- 

 amination and investigation to determine the sanitary 

 condition of such places and whether the provisions of 

 this act or the rules and regulations of the state board 

 of health pertaining thereto are being violated. The 



