Managers will have to bring the systems up to standard to eliminate the suction cup effect. The closure of non-compliant structures and funds for adaptations are expected
From August 1st swimming in the pool will have to be safer. After the death of three children in just one month, the final approval for the amendment to the Sports decree which makes the safety rules for public and private facilities open to the public and for collective use more stringent. In addition to the latest tragedies, there is data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, which speaks of dozens of drownings recorded in the last two years, especially involving the youngest. Hence the acceleration and the arrival of the new rules.
What changes in the rules in swimming pools: stop the suction cup effect
The main novelty but concerns water intake and recirculation systemsidentified as one of the main causes of the most serious accidents. Outlets, bottom grates and recirculation systems must comply with technical standards designed to eliminate the so-called “suction cup effect”, the suction phenomenon which in some cases has trapped children with their hair or body parts, causing drowning. The structures involved are all public ones, private ones but open to the public and facilities for collective use: therefore not only municipal swimming pools and sports centres, but also hotel facilities, tourist villages and clubs that welcome external guests. Anyone who does not comply with the required standards risks a drastic measure: the immediate closure of the plant, which will be able to reopen only after having brought the safety systems up to standard. To support public bodies in their swimming pool adaptation work, a 4.7 million euro fund has been allocated for 2026. However, the obligation to wear swimming caps for under 16s remains outside the final textforeseen in a first version of the amendment and then withdrawn before the vote in the Chamber.
Why we need a law: the numbers of drownings in Italy
The numbers explain the urgency of the intervention. Second the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, in the two-year period 2024-2025, 604 drownings were recorded in Italydivided almost equally between sea and inland waters. Of these, 37 occurred in swimming pools, a figure that experts define as significant because it particularly affects children and adolescents. Broadening our gaze to the period 2022-2026, the victims in Italian swimming pools rise to 75. And it is not just an Italian problem. According to the World Health Organization, drowning causes over 300 thousand deaths worldwide every yearalmost a quarter of which are among children under five. It is one of the top ten causes of death between the ages of 5 and 14, a risk which according to the WHO is also destined to increase due to climate change, which lengthens the bathing season and exposure to water.
Swimming pools: what managers and families should do
The countdown to adapt has started. Who manages a swimming poolpublic or private open to the public, has until August 1st to verify that the suction and recirculation systems comply with the new technical standards. For familiesHowever, there remains the need to supervise children in the water, especially in smaller pools and hydromassage pools, where the risk is higher. The one approved in the Chamber is only the first stage. In fact, a broader framework bill on the health and safety of swimming pools is already under parliamentary discussion. A path that will be longer and more complex: after passing through the Social Affairs Commission, the text will have to reach the Chamber of Deputies and then the Senate, before becoming law in all respects.
