Buncombe County Food and Lodging Supervisor David Mease is inspecting pools to determine if they have to close. The push for enforcement was spearheaded when, three months ago, technology became available for retrofitting old pool drains to comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007.

Jim Hayes, head of the Pool, Tattoos and State Institutions Branch of the North Carolina Division of Environmental Health, estimates 6000 pools in the state might have to be shut down until they get the $6000 upgrades. Shutting down pools until they’re brought into compliance will lessen the likelihood that a person would get caught in a drain and increase the likelihood that swim teams from schools with new pools will have a competitive edge.