(1) All equipment used in conjunction with the operation of the swimming pool or spa must be approved by the regulatory authority. An experimental installation may be permitted by the regulatory authority, but should the development fail to produce satisfactory results it must be replaced with accepted design, equipment, and materials.

(2) Every publicly owned public swimming pool must meet the following lifeguard requirements:

(a) The pool must have a trained lifeguard or lifeguards who are in complete charge of the bathing facilities and who have the authority to enforce all safety rules;

(b) The pool must have at least one lifeguard per 2,000 square feet of pool area or fraction thereof, with a minimum of one lifeguard regardless of the size of the pool;

(c) Each lifeguard must be currently certified:

(i) by either the American red cross or the American heart association in  methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) , first aid, and water safety or its equivalent; and

(ii) as having completed lifeguard training by either the American red cross, the young men's christian association, the boy scouts, or ellis and associates, inc. of Kingwood, Texas.

(d) Each lifeguard must be at least 15 years of age; and

(e) The required number of lifeguards must be on duty at all times when a swimming pool is open for use by bathers.

(3) Each owner or operator of a pool or spa must designate and assign a specific individual to maintain safe and sanitary conditions in and around the pool or spa.

(4) Every swimming pool must be equipped with one backboard and either a rescue tube or, in the alternative, one or more ring buoys having a maximum of 15 to 16 inches inside diameter with a 1/4 inch manila-line at least equal in length to the maximum width of the swimming pool attached securely to it and kept in good repair. A shepherd's crook or reaching pole must also be provided. In small swimming pools not exceeding 15 feet in width, a ring buoy with a minimum length of 14 feet of manila throwing line attached may be substituted for a shepherd's crook or a reaching pole. Such safety equipment must be accessible for immediate use in the pool area.

(5) When a lifeguard is required, an elevated seat for the lifeguard must be provided in areas between the 5 feet depth and the deep water and within 2 feet of the edge of the swimming pool and must be high enough to give the lifeguard a complete and unobstructed view of the water.

(6) A guard line separating the shallow portion from the deep portion of the swimming pool must be provided across the pool at the 5 foot depth.