Many aquatic facilities still do not have the required safety equipment installed on their pools to comply with federal law.

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A recent Associated Press (AP) story highlights the difficulty the U.S. pool industry is having with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA), which became law on December 19, 2008.

The purpose of the act is to make public pools safer by installing anti-entrapment devices. However, three months into 2009, many aquatic facilities still do not have the required safety equipment installed on their pools.

Members of the pool industry point out this is an expensive process, which was made more difficult by the short notice they were given to make their pools compliant and the limited supply of specially-designed pumps and drain covers.

As a result, some facilities may reopen this year without the new safety devices in place.

"A lot of people are being quiet about it. They're just making their own internal decisions about what risk they're willing to live with," said Thomas M. Lachocki, PhD, CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®), an organization which offers safety and educational training for pool operators.

He estimates only 30 per cent of 300,000 public pools in the U.S. currently comply with the law.