The Network for Aquatic Facility Inspection Surveillance (NAFIS)

The Network for Aquatic Facility Inspection Surveillance (NAFIS), established in 2013, is a collaborative surveillance effort between CDC and 25 local jurisdictions to systematically collect, analyze, and interpret data on the results of routine inspections of public aquatic venues. The 25 jurisdictions are located in the 5 states with the highest estimated counts of public aquatic venues—Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Texas; these states have 39.6% (122,412) of the estimated 309,000 U.S. public aquatic venues ¹. Environmental health practitioners from these jurisdictions send their inspection data to CDC annually.

NAFIS data will be used to:

• Assess regularly the operation and maintenance of U.S. public aquatic facilities and venues; this assessment might include:
  • Identifying facilities and venues in need of more frequent, risk-based inspections.
  • Identifying topics to cover in training for operators of public aquatic facilities.
• Demonstrate utility of aquatic facility inspection data and expand the use of aquatic facility inspection data, by state and local environmental health aquatic inspection programs, to inform environmental health program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Prioritize revisions or updates to the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC).
• Evaluate if adoption of MAHC elements minimizes the risk for illness and injury at public aquatic facilities.

CDC limited NAFIS’s initial list of elements for surveillance to the following 15 elements in the MAHC which were deemed most critical to preventing aquatic facility–associated outbreaks, drowning, and pool chemical–associated health events:

• Proper free available chlorine or bromine concentration;
• Proper pH;
• Recirculation pump approved, in good repair, and operating;
• Filter approved, in good repair, and operable;
• Automated chemical feeder in good repair and operable;
• Fencing, walls, gates, and doors in good repair and self-closing and self-latching gates and doors;
• Water clear and main drain visible;
• Main drain covers compliant with Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)/ American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A112.19.8, and covers/grates of suction outlets secured in place and in good repair;
• Qualified and adequately staffed lifeguards;
• Appropriate safety equipment (e.g., hook or ring) in good repair and first aid kit present;
• Chemicals labeled, stored safely, and secured;
• Hot tub/spa temperature ≤104°F (40°C);
• Protected overhead electrical wires and ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected electrical outlets;
• Qualified operator or responsible supervisor on site; and
• Substantial alterations and equipment replacement approved.

For publications on NAFIS data, please visit the Publications, Data, and Statistics Page.

References

1. P.K. Data, Inc. U.S. Swimming Pool and Hot Tub Market. 2011.