Sec. 19a-36. (Formerly Sec. 19-13). Public Health Code. Fees. Public pools. Wells: Use, replacement and mitigation.

(a) The Commissioner of Public Health shall establish a Public Health Code and, from time to time, amend the same. The Public Health Code may provide for the preservation and improvement of the public health.

(1) Drainage and toilet systems to be installed in any house or building arranged or designed for human habitation, or field sanitation provided for agricultural workers or migratory farm laborers, shall conform to minimum requirements prescribed in said code.

(2) Said code may include regulations requiring toilets and handwashing facilities in large stores, as defined in such regulations, in shopping centers and in places dispensing food or drink for consumption on the premises, for the use of patrons of such establishments, except that the provisions of such regulations shall not apply to such establishments constructed or altered pursuant to plans and specifications approved or building permits issued prior to October 1, 1977.

(3) Each regulation adopted by the Commissioner of Public Health shall state the date on which it shall take effect, and a copy of the regulation, signed by the Commissioner of Public Health, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the State and a copy sent by said commissioner to each director of health, and such regulation shall be published in such manner as the Commissioner of Public Health may determine.

(4) Any person who violates any provision of the Public Health Code shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.

(b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall charge the following fees for the following services: (1) Review of each small flow plan for subsurface sewage disposal, two hundred dollars; and (2) review of each large flow plan for subsurface sewage disposal, six hundred twenty-five dollars. The commissioner shall amend the regulations adopted pursuant to this section as necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(c) (1) For purposes of this subsection, “public pool” means an artificial basin constructed of concrete, steel, fiberglass or other impervious material and equipped with a controlled water supply that is intended for recreational bathing, swimming, diving or therapeutic purposes and includes, but is not limited to, any related equipment, structure, area or enclosure intended for the use of any person using or staffing such pool. “Public pool” does not include an artificial basin provided with a controlled water supply that is intended for use at a single-family residence, except when such basin is used for commercial or business purposes at such residence.

(2) The Department of Public Health shall classify public pools into one of the following categories:

(A) Public swimming pool, which is a pool used or intended to be used for recreational bathing, swimming or water recreation activities;

(B) Public wading pool, which is a pool principally used or intended to be used for wading and recreational bathing by small children;

(C) Public spa, which is a pool used for recreational bathing in conjunction with a high-velocity air system, a high-velocity water recirculation system, hot water, cold water, a mineral bath or any combination thereof;

(D) Public diving pool, which is a pool used solely for diving or the instruction and practicing of diving techniques; or

(E) Special purpose public pool, which is a pool used for a specialized purpose, including, but not limited to, a splash pad or spray park where the water is recirculated, water flume, pool used for scuba diving instruction, therapeutic pool, hydrotherapy pool or a pool used in an aquatics program for persons with disabilities. Special purpose public pool does not include a flotation vessel, which shall not be subject to review by the Department of Public Health. For purposes of this subparagraph, “flotation vessel” means a tank devoid of light and sound and containing salt water in which a person floats for purposes including, but not limited to, meditation, relaxation and alternative medicine.

(3) The commissioner shall charge the following fees for the following services: (A) Review of plans for a public pool, seven hundred fifty dollars; (B) review of a resubmitted plan for a public pool, two hundred fifty dollars; (C) initial inspection of a public pool, two hundred dollars; and (D) any subsequent inspection of a public pool, one hundred fifty dollars. The commissioner shall amend the regulations adopted pursuant to this section as necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, regulations governing the safety of public pools shall not require fences around (A) naturally formed ponds subsequently converted to public pool use, provided the converted ponds (i) retain sloping sides common to natural ponds, and (ii) are on property surrounded by a fence, or (B) a splash pad or spray park.

(d) The local director of health may authorize the use of an existing private well, consistent with all applicable sections of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, the installation of a replacement well at a single-family residential premises on property whose boundary is located within two hundred feet of an approved community water supply system, measured along a street, alley or easement, where (1) a premises that is not connected to the public water supply may replace a well used for domestic purposes if water quality testing is performed at the time of the installation, and for at least every ten years thereafter, or for such time as requested by the local director of health, that demonstrates that the replacement well meets the water quality standards for private wells established in the Public Health Code, and provided there is no service to the premises by a public water supply, or (2) a premises served by a public water supply may utilize or replace an existing well or install a new well solely for irrigation purposes or other outdoor water uses provided such well is permanently and physically separated from the internal plumbing system of the premises and a reduced pressure device is installed to protect against a cross connection with the public water supply. Upon a determination by the local director of health that an irrigation well creates an unacceptable risk of injury to the health or safety of persons using the water, to the general public, or to any public water supply, the local director of health may issue an order requiring the immediate implementation of mitigation measures, up to and including permanent abandonment of the well, in accordance with the provisions of the Connecticut Well Drilling Code adopted pursuant to section 25-128. In the event a cross connection with the public water system is found, the owner of the system may terminate service to the premises.

(1949 Rev., S. 3800; 1959, P.A. 628, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 140; P.A. 77-282; 77-614, S. 345, 610; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 6, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-44, S. 2; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 97-278; P.A. 98-75, S. 2; P.A. 02-102, S. 2; P.A. 03-252, S. 3; P.A. 05-122, S. 1; P.A. 07-244, S. 2; P.A. 08-184, S. 5; P.A. 09-11, S. 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 165; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 177; P.A. 12-80, S. 66; P.A. 15-148, S. 1; P.A. 16-75, S. 1; P.A. 17-93, S. 1; 17-202, S. 67.)

History: 1959 act added provision re field sanitation; 1961 act substituted public health code for sanitary code; P.A. 77-282 provided that code may include regulations requiring restroom facilities in large stores, shopping centers etc.; P.A. 77-614 replaced public health council with commissioner of health services, effective January 1, 1979; Sec. 19-13 transferred to Sec. 19a-36 in 1983; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 added new Subsec. (b) to establish fees for public swimming pool plan review and resubmitted plan review, public swimming pool inspection and reinspection and review of small and large flow plan for subsurface sewage disposal; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-44 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit the regulations from prohibiting the sale of food at noncommercial functions and to define “noncommercial function”; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-278 added Subsec. (c) re naturally formed ponds converted to swimming pool use; P.A. 98-75 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that provisions of regulations with respect to requirement of employing a qualified food operator and any reporting requirements re such operator shall not apply to soup kitchens that rely exclusively on volunteer services; P.A. 02-102 added Subsec. (d) to permit a local director of health to authorize the use of an existing private well or the installation of a replacement well at a single-family residential premises located within 200 feet of an approved community water supply system, subject to certain safeguards; P.A. 03-252 amended Subsec. (a) by allowing code to regulate retail food establishments; P.A. 05-122 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision requiring testing of qualified food operator's knowledge of food allergies, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B), adding new Subdiv. designators and making technical changes; P.A. 07-244 amended Subsec. (d) to subject local health directors' decisions re use of existing private wells to applicable state regulations, to add provisions re mitigation or abandonment of irrigation wells that create an unacceptable risk of injury to health or safety and to make technical changes; P.A. 08-184 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by providing that code may include “the required permitting from local health departments or districts to operate said establishments”; P.A. 09-11 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fees; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to expand exemption to include persons distributing food and to provide that distribution or sale of food at a “noncommercial function” is by a person not normally engaged in the business of selling such food for profit, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (a)(7) to replace penalty of a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 3 months or both with a class C misdemeanor; P.A. 15-148 amended Subsec. (b) to delete “Notwithstanding any regulations to the contrary”, delete former Subdivs. (1) to (4) re public swimming pools, redesignate existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) as Subdivs. (1) and (2) and add provision re commissioner to amend regulations to implement provisions of Subsec., added new Subsec. (c)(1) to (3) re definition and classification of public pools and fees for services, and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (c)(4) and made technical and conforming changes therein; P.A. 16-75 amended Subsec. (c)(4) by redesignating existing Subparas. (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), designating existing provision re naturally formed ponds converted to public pool use as Subpara. (A) and adding new Subpara. (B) re splash pad or spray park; P.A. 17-93 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdiv. (1) re regulations pertaining to retail food establishments, redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) and (3) as Subdivs. (1) and (2), deleting former Subdiv. (4) re qualified food operators and sale or distribution of food at noncommercial function, deleting Subdiv. (5) re qualified food operators, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (6) and (7) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (c)(2)(E) by replacing “handicapped persons” with “persons with disabilities”.

Notation

See Sec. 19a-207 re duties of local health officials in enforcing Public Health Code.

See Sec. 19a-495 re regulation of health care institutions.

See Sec. 21a-62a re regulations pertaining to preparation of food in private residential dwelling for sale for human consumption.

Annotations to former section 19-13:

Cited. 166 C. 337; 172 C. 88.

Cited. 12 CA 57.

Annotation to present section:

Cited. 32 CA 409.