D.C. - The dream of owning a home with a swimming pool can become a nightmare when a young child drowns in that family pool. About 300 children under 5 years old drown each year in residential pools nationwide.
Physical barriers designed to limit access to pools provide an important layer of security.
They may give parents additional time to locate the child before the child can reach the pool. Effective barriers include fences or walls, and power safety covers over pools. Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high and installed completely around the pool. The latch should be out of a small child's reach. If your house forms one side of the barrier for the pool, then doors leading from the house to the pool should be protected with alarms that produce an audible sound when a door is unexpectedly opened.