Popular inflatable pools in violation of rules

One 3 1/2-foot deep inflatable swimming pool: $248.

One cheap beach ball: $1.

Two pairs of swimming trunks for the boys: $10.

Finding out you can't use the $248 pool until you build a $1,000 fence: Breathless.

There are some shallow pools that don't require fences. For everything else, there's building codes.

A fairly new type of swimming pool has found its way into retail stores and onto lawns. The inflatable pools are relatively inexpensive and popular with parents who want to give their children an outdoor activity during the summer.

But deep water -- even when contained in rubber, blown-up tubs -- is dangerous. The popularity of these pools worries officials in some cities who are trying to provide safety and uphold building codes.

"It's a growing concern for us. They're popping up all over town," said John Creutz, a plan and review specialist for the city of Cape Girardeau. "We're getting worried. We'd like to prevent a death rather than to react to one."

Last June in Jackson, then-2-year-old Cory Gaines Jr. almost drowned in a pool left unattended just a few moments by his mother. When Corey's mother went into the house looking for him, a friend found him in the pool lying face down. He was saved when a neighbor heard screams and rushed over to perform CPR on the boy.

It's that type of situation that city inspectors say they're trying to prevent, but many residents are unaware of cities' rules when it comes to pools, even inflatable ones.

In Jackson and Cape Girardeau, all pools that are 24 inches or deeper must have a fence and a lockable gate. The fences must be 4 feet tall. In Scott City, all pools of 18 inches deep or more must be secured by fences. The codes have been in place for several years.

The inflatable pools come in many sizes and prices. At Jackson's Wal-Mart, a 27-inch-deep pool can be purchased for $48.84. A 4-foot pool, 18 feet in diameter that can entertain a dozen or more people, can be purchased for $248. Similar pools can be bought at Target.

There is no construction required. The pools are ready for water in 15 to 30 minutes, the instructions say. They come with filters and covers, clearly not intended to be dumped and filled frequently.

And instructions warn customers to look into local laws, but many buyers do not.

The city of Jackson is attacking the issue head-on. Janet Sanders, the city's building and planning superintendent, issued a news release last week to notify as many people as possible before they buy a pool without knowing the city's rules.

Furthermore, city inspectors have been delivering letters to residents who are in violation. In June, the city sent out 16 letters to residents who were in violation of the swimming pool security code. In Cape Girardeau, inspectors say city officials have considered putting out a news release.

Sanders said the city asked Wal-Mart to post a notice. Wal-Mart assistant manager Trey Noles said he has not posted the notice yet but plans to do so.

John Hankins, who lives on Farmington Road in Jackson, returned from Iraq on emergency medical leave to find that his wife had bought a pool.

"She wouldn't have bought it if she knew she had to have a fence," Hankins said. "The kids want in there every day. Now that I think about it, I personally feel it would be safer for homeowners to put a fence around the pools. On the other hand, city codes aren't common knowledge. You don't think about looking up city codes every time you buy something for your yard."

In Cape Girardeau and Jackson, fences are not required around pools that are 4 feet or taller if the ladder into the pool can be locked and removed.

Jackson resident Johnny Sissom bought an inflatable pool for his children last weekend. He said he didn't know about the code -- and doesn't have a fence around it -- but has already made plans to put up a fence.

"There's nothing wrong with a law protecting the neighborhood," he said. "Even if they know better, kids are kids and they'll try things."

In Jackson, people who fail to comply can face a fine of not less than $10 and no more than $500 for each day the resident fails to comply; in Scott City, the fine is between $5 and $100 a day. In Cape Girardeau, there is no set fine. The punishment is up to the judge.

"We don't want anybody to go through that," Sanders said. "But because this is a life-safety issue, it's not something we can ignore."

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635