22 CCR §§65501–65546 and Health & Safety Code §§116025–116068
California pool chemical log requirements
What a California public or semi-public pool must test, the legal ranges, what goes in the log and how long to keep it — every rule with the section of the code. Checked September 19, 2026.
- Test
- Once a day, every day the pool is open22 CCR §65523(a)
- Keep the log
- 2 years22 CCR §65523(e)
- Rules
- Public pool22 CCR §§65501–65546 and Health & Safety Code §§116025–116068
2.0 to 10.0 ppm · pool with cyanuric acid
7.2 to 7.8
no more than 100 ppm
Daily pool and spa operation record · one month, letter landscape · columns for FC, TC, pH
Sources (9) — every number above is cited
- 22 CCR § 65523 — Testing and records (Cornell LII copy of the California Code of Regulations) — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell Legal Information Institute)
- 22 CCR § 65529 — Disinfectant residuals and test kits — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65530 — Chemical quality (pH, cyanuric acid, temperature) — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65527 — Water clarity — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65503 — Application (which pools are public pools) — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65545 — Closure of a public pool — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65546 — Contamination and drowning incidents — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- Health and Safety Code §§ 116025–116068, Swimming Pool Sanitation and Safety (incl. § 116048, small common interest developments) — California Legislature
- Public pools and spas — forms and resources (daily operation record, self-inspection checklist) — Yuba County Environmental Health, California
The 0.4 ppm combined chlorine limit that many pages still quote was repealed on January 1, 2017.
Inspections are done by county or city environmental health: they may add local requirements.
Legal ranges
| Parameter | Pool | Spa | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free chlorine | 2–10 ppm | 3–10 ppm | 22 CCR §65529(b) |
| pH | 7.2–7.8 | 7.2–7.8 | 22 CCR §65530 |
| Cyanuric acid | at most 100 ppm | at most 100 ppm | 22 CCR §65530 |
| Water temperature | — | at most 104 °F | 22 CCR §65530 |
Testing frequency
Once a day, every day the pool is open (22 CCR §65523(a)). Disinfectant residual and pH at least once per day; heated pools also record the water temperature daily. A calibrated automatic monitoring system may do the daily tests if the enforcing agency approves it.
- Cyanuric acid at least once a month, if you add it (22 CCR §65523(b))
What the log must show
- Every test result (disinfectant, pH, temperature of heated pools, cyanuric acid)
- Equipment readings (flow meter, filter gauges) and calibrations
- Corrective action taken
- Maintenance and repairs, in a separate record
- Fecal, vomit, blood and drowning incidents, with chlorine, pH and temperature at the time
Keep it 2 years (22 CCR §65523(e)). Keep the records for at least two years and submit them to the enforcing agency (your county environmental health) on request.
What the inspector checks
- A DPD test kit that reads free and total chlorine, and a CYA kit if you use stabilizer
- A daily log for every day the pool was open, weekends and holidays included, one log per pool
- Free chlorine or bromine and pH inside the ranges at the time of inspection
- Monthly cyanuric acid results, under 100 ppm
- Bottom of the pool clearly visible from the deck; spa at 104 °F or below
- Written operating procedures and the manufacturers' instructions on site
When the pool must close
- Inadequate disinfection or improper pH (the enforcing agency may close the pool)
- Bottom at the deepest point not clearly visible from the deck (the operator must close it)
- Fecal, vomit or blood contamination, or a drowning or near-drowning
- Missing or broken suction outlet covers
Who may operate the pool
Every public pool must be under the supervision of a pool operator: the owner or a person the owner delegates. The state code sets no certification, but some counties do (Los Angeles County requires a certified pool service technician).
The 0.4 ppm combined chlorine limit that many pages still quote was repealed on January 1, 2017.
Inspections are done by county or city environmental health: they may add local requirements.
Log California readings on your phone
Every reading checked against the ranges above, the corrective action recorded, and the California sheet filled for the inspector.
Sources
- 22 CCR § 65523 — Testing and records (Cornell LII copy of the California Code of Regulations) — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell Legal Information Institute)
- 22 CCR § 65529 — Disinfectant residuals and test kits — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65530 — Chemical quality (pH, cyanuric acid, temperature) — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65527 — Water clarity — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65503 — Application (which pools are public pools) — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65545 — Closure of a public pool — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- 22 CCR § 65546 — Contamination and drowning incidents — California Department of Public Health (text via Cornell LII)
- Health and Safety Code §§ 116025–116068, Swimming Pool Sanitation and Safety (incl. § 116048, small common interest developments) — California Legislature
- Public pools and spas — forms and resources (daily operation record, self-inspection checklist) — Yuba County Environmental Health, California
This page summarizes the state code; your county or city health department may add requirements. It is not legal advice.