That Fairfax County apparently believes water-spraying fountains must be staffed with lifeguards has raised some eyebrows.
Officials say a number of developers with pending proposal have run afoul of a strict interpretation of county code that would require “interactive water features” to be staffed the way pools are.
“Having now been in elected office for 11 years, this is the nuttiest things I’ve ever come across,” Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman said.
“I don’t know if this is the ‘full employment for lifeguards statute’ or what, but it’s got to go,” he later added.
The odd rule interpretation stems from a broad ordinance that governs pools, fountains and sprinklers throughout the county. The code was adopted last year after several outbreaks of cryptosporidium in New York state “that were associated with interactive water features,” Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin wrote in a August memo explaining the policy.
“The need for a lifeguard is obvious in swimming pools,” wrote Griffin. “But the requirement is less obvious in a situation in which people are simply standing on a deck being sprayed by water.”
Officials say developments like Kings Crossing, which is proposed in southern Fairfax County by developer JPI, have sought to build interactive water features, but have come across the restrictions.
Supervisors on Monday asked for more information from county staff on the issue, but have yet to take action to change the ordinance.
