The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA), Swim England and Swim Wales have today published a comprehensive briefing note providing guidance to support the safe operation of temporary “pop-up” swimming pools.

The briefing note can be viewed here

These guidelines are designed to ensure that all temporary aquatic facilities uphold the highest safety, hygiene, and operational standards, safeguarding all who use them. The increasing prevalence of temporary pools has underscored the importance of ensuring that these facilities meet rigorous standards to protect users and provide safe learning environments.

Our organisations do not endorse the use of any temporary “pop-up” swimming pools that fail to meet these operational and safety standards. It is critical that these facilities adhere to the published guidelines, including but not limited to:

• Compliance with relevant health and safety regulations such as HSG179 and PWTAG technical note TN65.
• Water quality safety.
• Robust structural integrity.

Facilities that do not meet these standards place participants at unacceptable health and safety risks and compromise the quality of aquatic instruction.

Together, STA, Swim England and Swim Wales remain committed to promoting safe, accessible, and high-quality aquatic experiences for all.

We encourage all operators of temporary pools to carefully review and implement the new guidance. Additionally, we urge parents, schools and environmental health teams to verify that any facility they use adheres to these essential requirements and take appropriate enforcement action where this is not the case. We would encourage any school considering utilising a “pop up pool” to read the briefing note and to contact us in the first instance.