The Ontario Building Code | Construction Requirements
3.12.2.1. Construction Requirements
(1) In addition to the requirements of this Subsection, public spas shall comply with the requirements of Sentences 3.11.3.1.(13) to (17), (19), (20) and (22) and Clause 3.11.3.1.(24)(a).
(2) A public spa shall be constructed to have a water depth of not more than 1 200 mm.
(3) The slope of the bottom of any portion of a public spa shall not exceed 8%.
(4) A public spa shall be surrounded by a hard-surfaced pool deck that,
(a) shall have a minimum clear deck space of not less than 1.8 m at the main entrance point,
(b) shall have a clear deck space of 900 mm on all sides, except as required by Clause (a) and permitted by Sentence (5),
(c) shall be sloped away from the pool to waste drains or to adjacent lower ground at a slope of between 2% and 4%, in the case of an outdoorref ="http://thehandyforce.com/doors/" title ="Toronto Door installer">door public spa, and
(d) shall be impervious and sloped away from the pool to waste drains at a slope of between 1% and 4%, in the case of an indoor public spa.
(5) One section of the hard-surfaced pool deckthat does not exceed 25% of the perimeter of the public spa may have a minimum clear deck space of not more than 300 mm if,
(a) the public spa has an area less than 6 m2, and
(b) the public spa has no interior dimension more than 2.5 m.
(6) The maximum depth of water to a seat or bench in a public spa shall be 600 mm.
(7) If a set of steps is provided for entry into and egress from the public spa water, the steps,
(a) shall be equipped with a handrail,
(b) shall have a non-slip surface, and
(c) shall have a band of contrasting colour along the entire juncture of the side and top of the edges.
(8) Every public spa shall be provided with dressing rooms, water closets and shower facilities that are conveniently available on the premises.
(9) Except where no space is provided between ladder treads and the spa wall, the space between the spa wall and submerged portions of any treads of a ladder for entry into and egress from the water shall be not more than 150 mm and not less than 75 mm.
3.12.3. Ramps and Access into Public Spas
In Plain Language
Public spas must comply with several cross-referenced public pool construction requirements, plus their own rule capping water depth at no more than 1,200 mm given their intended use for shorter soaking sessions rather than swimming.
This is a plain-language summary of the 2012/2017 Ontario Building Code text above, for general understanding only and not a substitute for the Code. Always confirm current requirements against the 2024 edition (O.Reg. 163/24) or a qualified professional before construction.