Recall of faulty drain covers may delay public pool openings

Smack on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has just come out with bad news for the pool-loving public. First, the commission is announcing the recall of one million pool and spa drain covers because they were incorrectly rated to handle water flow. That means they could potentially entrap a swimmer or bather and cause injury or death.

The drain-cover recall isn't entirely a surprise. Back in March, we wrote about the CPSC's investigation into the testing protocols of some of the labs that inspect the covers.

Yesterday's recall involves eight companies and a range of models manufactured or installed after December 19, 2008. The recall notice has links to each company's site, which will have information about and pictures of the models. The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals has set up a recall hotline at (866) 478-3521 and a special website that has links to the manufacturers and information for both homeowners and pool professionals.

"I want to make it clear that this recall announcement does not mean that one million drain covers will need to be replaced or repaired," CPSC Charman Inez Tenenbaum said yesterday. "Operators of kiddie pools, wading pools and in-ground spas should respond immediately to this recall, while pools with multiple main drains or gravity drainage systems do not have to replace their covers."

Public pools are most affected by the recall. Chairman Tennenbaum was sympathetic to pool operators and consumers. "You did nothing wrong. The onus is on these manufacturers to provide you with free replacement covers or a free retrofit, if your pool or spa is impacted by this recall."

But she had bad news right before the holiday weekend. "Now for those public pools and spas that need their covers replaced or fixed, I have an obligation to advise that those facilities be closed at this time. They should reopen as soon as the work is completed that addresses the recall and brings the facility into compliance with the law. I know this is a very difficult message for many communities to hear so close to Memorial Day weekend, but we cannot risk a child becoming entrapped in a recalled drain cover."

It's extremely important that pool drain covers operate as they're supposed to, especially in light of the other piece of pool news from the CPSC yesterday: In just the first five months of 2011, there have been 55 drownings and 63 near drownings in the U.S. A tragic head start on the 383 children under 15 who drown each year in pools and spas. The vast majority of those are younger than five.

For more on keeping your family safe around pools, see the CPSC's Pool Safety website.

—Jonea Gurwitt