Arkansas · AR
Pool operator requirements in Arkansas
Quick answer
Does Arkansas require a certified pool operator?
Arkansas requires a properly trained operator on staff or on call for every public pool, but its rule only recommends, and does not require, that the operator hold a certification. Section XX.A of the Department of Health's Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Swimming Pools names the CPO, an APSP course, or an NRPA course as recommended options.
- Certified operator required?
- Not required Section XX.A requires every pool or related facility to be maintained under the supervision of a properly trained operator on staff or on call, responsible for sanitation, safety, and maintenance. The rule then states it is only 'recommended' that the operator complete a swimming pool operator course and hold current certification recognized by the Department, so a trained operator is mandatory but a certification is not.
- Certifications accepted
- CPO (PHTA), State-approved course Section XX.A lists recommended courses: the National Swimming Pool Foundation Certified Pool Operator (CPO) course, Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP, now PHTA) certification courses, National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) certification courses, or another course the Department evaluates case by case. None of these is mandatory under the rule as written.
- Governing agency
- Arkansas Department of Health, Environmental Health Protection
- Regulation citation
- Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Swimming Pools and Other Related Facilities, effective August 1, 2012, promulgated under Ark. Code Ann. section 20-7-109 and section 20-30-103 et seq.
- CDC Model Aquatic Health Code
- Not adopted. Arkansas regulates public pools under its own Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Swimming Pools and Other Related Facilities, effective 2012, rather than the CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code.
- Renewal / operator presence
- Because certification itself is recommended rather than required, Arkansas's rule sets no state renewal cadence. Where a facility's operator holds the CPO, that credential runs on a five-year national recertification cycle.
State-code numbers that differ from the national body of knowledge
| Requirement | Arkansas value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover, existing pools (sand filters) | 8-hour turnover | Circulation and filtration, Section IX.B |
| Turnover, new construction (sand filters) | 6-hour turnover | Circulation and filtration, Section IX.B |
| Bather load, spas (Class F) | 1 bather per 10 square feet of water surface | Bather Load, Section XXI |
Arkansas is worth reading carefully because it draws a line most people miss: it requires a trained operator, but only recommends that the operator be certified. Those are two different bars, and the state rule is explicit about which one is mandatory.
Who this applies to
This page covers public swimming pools and other related facilities under the Arkansas Department of Health’s Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Swimming Pools and Other Related Facilities, effective August 1, 2012: pools other than a single private residence’s pool, including apartment, hotel, health-club, HOA, school, and municipal pools, plus spas and special-purpose pools.
Does Arkansas require a certified pool operator?
Not by name. Section XX.A requires that “the pool or other related facility shall be maintained under the supervision and direction of a properly trained operator on staff, or on call,” responsible for sanitation, safety, and proper maintenance. That much is mandatory.
The next sentence is the part that trips people up: “It is recommended that the operator shall have successfully completed a swimming pool operator course and have current certification recognized by the Department.” Recommended, not required. The rule lists the National Swimming Pool Foundation Certified Pool Operator (CPO) course, APSP (now PHTA) certification courses, and NRPA certification courses as the recommended options, alongside any other course the Department evaluates case by case. A facility can satisfy the rule’s letter with a trained operator who has not completed any of these.
Which certification counts
If you certify anyway, which is the practical choice for most operators regardless of the letter of the rule, the PHTA Certified Pool Operator (CPO) is the most widely recognized of the recommended courses nationally. Compare it with the AFO in our CPO vs AFO guide, and see how to become a CPO for the course-plus-exam path.
The governing law, in plain terms
- The Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Swimming Pools and Other Related Facilities, effective August 1, 2012, is Arkansas’s statewide pool rule.
- It is promulgated under Ark. Code Ann. section 20-7-109 and section 20-30-103 et seq., tracing back to Act 96 of 1913 and Act 623 of 1987.
- Section XX (Safety) carries the trained-operator duty and the certification recommendation.
- The Arkansas Department of Health, Environmental Health Protection program administers and enforces the rule statewide, with no county-by-county variation of its own.
State-code numbers that trip up test-takers
Arkansas’s turnover rule is construction-era dependent: Section IX.B sets a 6-hour turnover for new sand-filtered pools but allows an 8-hour turnover for existing sand-filtered pools built to the older filtration-rate standard. For spas, Section XXI sets a bather load of one bather per 10 square feet of water surface. If a question or a real Arkansas facility is an older pool or a spa, do not default to the single generic figure; the pool-math trainer drills exactly this kind of jurisdiction-specific reading.
How to comply in practice
- Put a properly trained operator on staff or on call. This part is mandatory regardless of certification.
- Complete a CPO, APSP/PHTA, or NRPA course anyway. It is only recommended by the rule, but it is the credential employers and inspectors expect in practice.
- Get the operating permit. The Arkansas Department of Health issues and inspects it against the 2012 rule.
- Keep any certification current. The national CPO runs on a five-year recertification cycle.
Keep studying
The math the exam tests is the same whether a state requires certification outright or only recommends it, and it is what fails most candidates. Drill it on the pool-math trainer, take the free practice test, or check turnover and dosing on the pool chemistry calculator. To compare Arkansas with other states as we verify them, use the state requirements matrix.