Aquatic Venue

Aquatic Venue License Renewals

Aquatic venue licenses must be renewed each year. Follow the instructions in the renewal letter to log in and complete the renewal on our secure website. If the ownership or the FEIN of your business has changed, your first renewal with the changed information must be submitted via a paper application with a check for the appropriate fee. Click here for the licensing form and submission instructions. If you haven’t received or have misplaced the renewal letter, contact the Center for Drinking Water Quality by calling 401-222-6867 or emailing DOH.RIDWQ@health.ri.gov to obtain a copy.

New Aquatic Venue Construction and Existing Venue Alterations

To construct a new licensed aquatic venue or alter an existing licensed aquatic venue, you must submit an application with plans, specifications, and calculations stamped by a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in Rhode Island. The PE ensures that the pool is designed properly and in accordance with Rhode Island’s regulations and incorporated standards per Licensing Aquatic Venues (the Regulations) Section 4.4.

Carefully read the following descriptions and select the form series that describes the work you are planning to have done. You can download the forms by following the links in the table below. Applicants seeking to build a new aquatic venue must use the New Aquatic Venue form series. Applicants seeking to modify the recirculation or treatment system of an existing aquatic venue or seeking to modify an existing aquatic venue, where the costs will exceed 10 percent of the cost to construct a new venue, must use the Substantial Alteration form series. Applicants seeking to modify an existing aquatic venue (excluding recirculation or treatment system modifications), where the costs will be 10 percent or less of the cost to build a new venue, must use the Non-Substantial Alteration form series.

For some updates, the use of an In-Kind Replacement form may be sufficient. If you are not sure which criteria your project meets, contact RIDOH for guidance by calling 401-222-6867 or emailing DOH.RIDWQ@health.ri.gov.

Aquatic Venue Forms Series
New Aquatic Venue	Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue	Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue
New Aquatic Venue - Form 1 Application New Aquatic Venue - Form 2 Recirculation System Equipment Summary New Aquatic Venue - Form 3 Hydraulic Analysis Summary New Aquatic Venue - Form 4 Design Compliance Form New Aquatic Venue - Form 5 ADA Acknowledgement New Aquatic Venue - Form 6 Attestation New Aquatic Venue - Form 7 VGBA Compliance Attestation Aquatic Venue - Form 8 Licensing Application	Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 1 Application Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 2 Recirculation System Equipment Summary Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 3 Hydraulic Analysis Summary Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 4 Design Compliance Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 5 ADA Acknowledgement Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 6 Attestation Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 7 VGBA Compliance Attestation	Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 1 Application Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 2 Design Compliance Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 3 Proposed Equipment-Materials Summary Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 4 ADA Acknowledgement Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 5 Attestation Non-Substantial Alteration to Existing Aquatic Venue - Form 6 VGBA Compliance Attestation

Once the application forms (Forms 1-5 for a new or substantial alteration, Forms 1-4 for an insubstantial alteration) have been submitted, RIDOH will review them for completeness and contact the applicant. The next step is the required plan and specification engineering review.  There are two options for aquatic venue engineering review (per 216-RICR-50-05-4.4(D) and 216-RICR-50-05-4.5.1(H)(1)&(2) of the Regulations): a privately hired PE or a RIDOH engineer. Details on these options are included below.  The applicant should coordinate with RIDOH to confirm which option will be used.

Option 1:  Engineering Review by RIDOH

Applicants can have their project added to the RIDOH engineering review tracker. A RIDOH engineer will perform the review when they are able. Please note, there may be significant delays if there is a staffing shortage.

RIDOH reviews usually involve several rounds of comment letters between the PE who is preparing the plans and RIDOH before a RIDOH engineer provides a preliminary approval letter. A preliminary approval letter from RIDOH confirms that the proposed aquatic venue was designed to meet the minimum standards and the Regulations and allows construction to begin provided that all other federal, state, and local requirements have been met. The preliminary approval letter does not preclude the applicant from meeting local building codes and standards. It is the responsibility of the applicant to reach out to the local building inspector and to meet their requirements. Once preliminary approval is secured and all other codes and standards are accounted for, installation or construction may begin.

Once the alteration or construction is complete and RIDOH is notified, RIDOH staff will perform a conformance inspection. The purpose of the conformance inspection is to verify that the aquatic venue conforms with the engineering plans and specifications that were preliminarily approved by RIDOH. Forms 6-8 must be submitted as part of the conformance inspection. When the alteration or the construction passes the conformance inspection, RIDOH will issue a final approval letter enabling altered aquatic venues to begin operating. New aquatic venues must become licensed before they can open to bathers.

Option 2: Review by Privately Hired PE

Applicants can have a privately hired PE review the application for conformance with the Regulations and standards. After the review has been completed by the hired PE, RIDOH will issue a preliminary approval letter to the applicant. When a privately hired PE performs the review, the preliminary approval letter confirms that RIDOH is aware that the applicant is selecting to have the review performed by their PE rather than the State. The preliminary approval letter does not preclude the applicant from meeting local building codes and standards. It is the responsibility of the applicant to reach out to the local building inspector and to meet their requirements. Once preliminary approval is secured and all other codes and standards are accounted for, installation or construction may begin.

Once construction is complete, the privately hired PE (or their representative) performs a conformance inspection and notifies RIDOH by submitting Form 6 and Form 7. The purpose of the conformance inspection is to verify that the aquatic venue conforms with the engineering plans and specifications that were preliminarily reviewed by the PE, resulting in a preliminary approval letter from RIDOH. Once RIDOH reviews a completed Form 6 and Form 7, a RIDOH engineer will issue a final approval letter enabling altered aquatic venues to begin operating. New aquatic venues must become licensed before they can open to bathers; see the New Aquatic Venue Licensing section for more details.

New Aquatic Venue Licensing

The new aquatic venue may not open to bathers until a license has been issued by RIDOH. Apply for a license by completing the licensing application (Form 8) and submitting it along with a check for the appropriate licensing fee to RIDOH. Once the licensing application is approved and the licensing fee is processed, RIDOH’s Center for Licensing will issue a license and the aquatic venue may open to bathers. You must post the aquatic venue license where users can see it. Now that you are ready to open, please see our webpage about safe aquatic venue operation requirements.