Daily Commercial Pool Opening Checklist

Every morning comes down to four things: staff coverage, today's water tests, a walk of the deck and equipment, and any reason the pool must stay closed. The CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) lists 21 items for a daily inspection before opening and says the results go in a log kept at the pool.

Where should you get the opening checks?

Start with your facility plan. Add the checks required by your health department and the instructions for your equipment.

The 2024 MAHC, section 6.4.1.3.1, says the qualified operator or responsible supervisor must make sure a daily inspection is done before opening (check what your state adopted).

Keep daily work separate from the larger checks needed before the season begins. Our season opening checklist covers that wider review.

What should you read before walking the site?

Read the previous shift's notes and the current closure record. Find out whether a repair is still open, a test needs follow-up, or a supervisor left instructions.

For each unfinished issue, write down:

• What was reported and when.
• Who is responsible for the next step.
• What still needs to be checked.
• Whether the issue affects the opening decision.

If a note only says “fixed,” ask for the missing detail. The opening manager needs to know what work was done and what check followed it. For the steps back to open, see our pool reopening checklist.

How should you confirm staff are ready?

Use your facility's staffing plan to check who must be present and what roles they can fill. Compare the schedule with actual attendance. Find any missing shift coverage before swimmers enter.

Ask the responsible supervisor to confirm guard positions, breaks, and backup coverage under the site plan. A name on the schedule does not confirm that the person has arrived. The MAHC (section 6.3.4.7.1) also says staff who are sick with diarrhea must not enter the water or work as a lifeguard.

Do not choose a fixed number of swimmers per guard from a general checklist. See how to assess lifeguard staffing needs for the questions to work through.

What water records should you check?

Make sure the opening record shows the correct pool, the actual test time, the tester, and each required result. Do not fill a blank with a guess or an old reading.

Before opening each day, test free chlorine, combined chlorine (or total bromine) and pH (MAHC 5.7.5.1). While open, test free chlorine (or bromine) and pH again every 2 hours with a hand-fed system, or every 4 hours with an automatic controller (5.7.5.2, 5.7.5.3). The MAHC minimum is 1.0 ppm free chlorine in pools without cyanuric acid, and pH 7.0 to 7.8.

Use the test kit instructions for taking and reading the test. For help organizing the rest of the day, see how to set a water testing schedule.

What belongs on the site walk?

Here is a shortened walk list taken from the 21 items in MAHC section 6.4.1.3.1, as a sheet you can print.

Item	OK	Needs attention	Note	Initials
Deck, walkways, and exits are clear and clean
Drain and suction outlet covers are in place, secure, and unbroken
Skimmer baskets, weirs, and lids are not blocked
Pump, filter, chlorine feeder, controller, and probes are running as required
Safety signs, safety equipment, emergency numbers, and first aid supplies are in place
The emergency phone or alarm works
Fences, gates, and self-latching locks work, with no furniture nearby to climb on
Chemical storage and other staff-only doors are locked
Supplies for cleaning up poop, vomit, or blood are ready
You can clearly see the bottom of the pool

Do not force staff to choose “passed” when they cannot complete a check.

The CDC's pool chemical safety page says only people trained in pool chemical safety should handle pool chemicals.

When should the pool stay closed?

The MAHC calls these imminent health hazards (6.6.3.1). The owner, operator or person in charge must close the pool for any of them (6.6.3.2), and the health department can also order it fixed or closed right away. Examples include:

• Free chlorine below the minimum, or above 10 ppm while swimmers are present.
• pH below 6.5 or above 8.0.
• The filter or chlorine system is not running.
• A main drain or suction outlet grate is broken, loose, or missing.
• The pool bottom is not visible.
• Required lifesaving equipment is missing from the deck.
• Required staffing is not in place.

Decision rule: if any of these is true, keep that pool closed, tell the responsible supervisor, and follow your facility plan.

How should you record the opening decision?

Keep the checker, time, result, and follow-up together. The MAHC (section 6.4.1.2.1) says pool records are kept at least 3 years and shown to the health department on request. A simple layout:

Check area	What to record
Staff	Attendance and unresolved coverage concerns
Water	Test time, readings, tester, and follow-up
Site and equipment	Condition found and any assigned repair
Closure status	Unresolved reasons for closure and completed reopening steps
Opening decision	Responsible person's name, time, and decision

Poolean keeps staffing, water readings, closures, site visits, and maintenance on each pool's record. Supervisors can review flagged readings and follow repairs. You can review the supervision features or book a 30-minute call to see the app.

The short version

• Build your checklist from your facility plan and health code.
• Review old concerns and closure status before starting new checks.
• Confirm actual staff coverage and record current water tests.
• Keep the pool closed for any imminent health hazard, and record who decided.