State pool safety law takes effect this week

Pool side
Pools like this one, at the YWCA in Uptown, are required to meet new guidelines for drains.
MPR photo/Tom Weber

A new state law named after a 6-year-old Minnesota girl who was seriously injured by a faulty pool drain takes effect this week.

The Abigail Taylor Pool Safety Act says operators of public pools and spas have until Friday to meet the new standards or face possible closure.

The law requires pools four feet deep or less to have anti-entrapment drain covers and other systems to make sure children and others cannot become trapped by the drain.

Abigail Taylor died of complications from injuries she suffered after sitting on a drain at a country club wading pool. Its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract.

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A separate federal law calling for similar safety enhancements went into effect Dec. 19 and applies to all public pools and spas.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has said the agency's enforcement would focus on pools designed for young children.

The Minnesota Department of Health says it will work with pool owners and operators on compliance with the state law.

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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)