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Residential pool safety

Residential pool safety

To help citizens comply with the new residential pool safety requirements, the Ville de Saint-Lambert has decided to require only compliance with the new provincial standards, which are clearly explained in the Application Guide (in French) published by the MAMH in May 2025.

Amendments to the municipal bylaw currently in force will be made shortly to bring it into line with the provincial bylaw.

Residential Swimming Pool Safety Regulation

Since July 1, 2021, the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Regulation, which came into effect in 2010, has been amended by the Quebec government. Among other things, the amendments have made the regulation applicable to all swimming pools in Quebec, regardless of when they were installed.

As a result, all owners of swimming pools that can hold 60 cm (24 inches) of water or more, whether in-ground, semi-inground, above-ground, or inflatable, as well as owners of hot tubs with a capacity of 2,000 liters or more, have until September 30 must ensure that their facilities comply with current safety standards.

To help you assess the compliance of your pool or spa, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation has created several self-assessment forms. You can click on this link to access the various forms online: self-assessment forms.

Please note that if you need to install a fence, you will need a certificate of authorization issued by the Department of Urban Planning, Permits, and Inspection.

Extension of the deadline for ensuring compliance of your installation

On October 22, 2025, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced the adoption of a draft regulation postponing the deadline for completing the work required to make residential swimming pools safe.

The new deadline for complying with the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Regulation is therefore September 30, 2027. No other amendments to the Regulation are being proposed as part of this project.

Although a postponement is being proposed, residential pool safety remains a priority. Owners are therefore encouraged to continue planning and carrying out the work necessary to bring their facilities into compliance.

Alarming data on the increasing number of drownings in residential pools since the early 2000s and recommendations issued by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec in 2006 led the provincial government to legislate on pool safety.

In 2007, the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act was passed. This act allowed the government to establish uniform safety standards throughout Quebec by regulation. The municipalities are responsible for enforcing these standards.

The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Regulation came into effect in July 2010. At that time, existing pool owners were granted grandfathering rights, meaning that they were not required to comply with the new regulations.

However, drowning statistics did not decline sufficiently, prompting several coroners to recommend that the government remove these grandfathering rights and require all owners to comply with the regulations.

Following the recommendations made by investigators, regulatory changes were made and came into effect in July 2021.

Owners are now subject to the 2021 regulations.

To know more

If you have any questions about the conformity of your pool, or would like to know what steps to take to remedy the situation, please contact the Urban Planning, Permits and Inspection Department at 450-672-4444 or urbanisme@saint-lambert.ca.

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