Article 26 of Decreto 99/2024 states that all facilities must have mandatory rules displayed in a visible place at the entrance and on any website they have. Unlike water checks or lifeguards, this article sets out no exception for small communities.
What has to be at the entrance
The rules the decree requires
- The maximum capacity must be respected at all times.
- People with contagious respiratory illnesses may not enter the pool.
- Nobody with a contagious waterborne or skin illness may enter the bathing area.
- Street shoes are not allowed in the bathing area or on the pool deck.
- Eating is not allowed in the bathing area.
- Showering before swimming is mandatory.
- In heated pools, a swimming cap is mandatory and goggles are recommended.
- The pool will be closed during the lifeguard's rest period.
- Children under 12 may not enter unless accompanied by an adult.
These are the rules in article 26. A community can add its own (opening hours, guests, inflatables…), but these must always be there.
What else must be on display
Article 28 requires the owner to provide, in an accessible and clearly visible place, at least:
- The results of the latest water checks, stating the pool and the date and time the sample was taken.
- Any non-compliance, the corrective measures and health recommendations.
- Information material on preventing drowning, injuries and spinal cord injuries.
- Information on the chemicals used in the treatment.
- Whether there is a lifeguard and health staff, with emergency phone numbers.
- The rules of use on this page.
- That complaint forms are available to users.
Download the sign
We've prepared an A4 sign with the decree's nine rules and spaces to fill in the capacity, opening hours, depth and lifeguard break. Laminate it and put it up at the entrance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small community need a rules sign?
Article 26 says that "all facilities" must display the rules at the entrance, and sets out no exception for communities of up to 30 homes, which are exempt from other obligations such as lifeguards or routine checks.
Can we add our own rules?
Yes. The decree's rules are the minimum. The community can add any it approves, such as opening hours, guests or inflatables, as long as they don't contradict the mandatory ones.
Where does the sign go?
The decree says "in a visible place at the entrance". If the community has a website with pool information, the rules must appear there too.