What are the three standards that govern swimming pool projects?
TS 13661 sets water treatment parameters (turnover time, filtration rate, disinfectant dosing). TS EN 15288 sets structural design and operational safety requirements (depth marking, slip resistance, drain safety) for all pools. FINA/World Aquatics sets dimensional and equipment rules for official competition pools only, layered on top of the other two.
Three Standards, Three Different Jobs
"We comply with international standards" is a sentence almost every pool contractor uses, but it rarely says which standard, for which part of the project, and against which number. This guide separates the three standards that actually govern a pool project in Turkey and Europe, so the phrase can be checked rather than taken on faith.
Each standard governs a different layer of the same pool: TS 13661 the water inside it, TS EN 15288 the structure and safety around it, and FINA/World Aquatics — only for competition pools — the geometry it must be built to.
TS 13661 — Water Treatment & Disinfection
TS 13661 is the German technical standard defining how swimming pool water must be circulated, filtered, and disinfected to stay hygienically safe. Its core mechanism is turnover time — the number of hours required to filter the pool's entire water volume once — set differently by pool type: roughly 4 hours for competition/public pools, 6-8 hours for private residential pools, and 1-2 hours for children's/wading pools.
It also sets filtration velocity limits (roughly 20-30 m/h for high-grade filtration, up to 50 m/h for private pools) and disinfectant dosing ranges. Required pump flow rate follows directly: Q (m³/h) = Pool Volume (m³) ÷ Turnover Time (hours) — the formula behind Artemis Pool's own sizing calculations.
Try the Chemical & Dosage Calculator built on these parameters →
TS EN 15288 — Structural Design & Operational Safety
TS EN 15288 is the Turkish adoption of the European EN 15288 standard, published in two parts. Part 1 covers design and construction requirements: depth markings, slip-resistant deck and floor finishes, and hydraulic safety at suction/drain outlets (to prevent entrapment). Part 2 covers operational safety management — how the pool is supervised and maintained once it's in use.
Unlike TS 13661, which is a voluntary technical reference in Turkey, TS EN 15288 is the standard most directly referenced in technical specifications and municipal/permitting review for both private and public pools.
FINA / World Aquatics — Competition Pool Geometry
World Aquatics (the international federation formerly known as FINA) sets the dimensional and equipment rules a pool must meet to host official competitions: 50.000 m (+0.030 m tolerance) length for a full Olympic pool, minimum depth of 2.00 m (2.50-3.00 m recommended for major events), 8-10 lanes of 2.50 m width, water temperature of 25-28°C, and minimum 1,500 lux lighting for televised events.
These rules don't replace TS 13661 — a competition pool still needs water treatment sized to TS 13661's turnover requirements. World Aquatics adds the touchpad, lane rope, starting block, and timing system specifications on top.
Which Standard Applies to Which Project
| TS 13661 | TS EN 15288 | FINA / World Aquatics | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Water treatment & disinfection | Structural design & operational safety | Competition pool geometry & timing |
| Issued By | DIN (Germany) | TSE / CEN (Turkey–Europe) | World Aquatics (formerly FINA) |
| Applies To | Public & commercial pools (also used as a reference for private pools) | All swimming pools (private, commercial, public) | Competition / Olympic pools only |
| Example Numeric Threshold | Turnover time: 4 hours (competition) – 8 hours (private) | Slip-resistance class, depth marking, anti-entrapment drains | 50.000 m ±0.030 m (full Olympic length) |
How This Gets Applied on a Project
In practice, these standards are applied through the project's hydraulic and structural documentation, not a verbal claim: a turnover-time and filtration-rate calculation referencing TS 13661, a deck/floor slip-resistance and drain-safety spec referencing TS EN 15288, and — only for competition pools — a geometry and equipment list referencing World Aquatics.
As Artemis Pool, we document our TS 13661 / TS EN 15288 compliance target for every project's technical parameters, and share ISO-certified process documentation on request.
Conclusion
"Standard-compliant" only means something when it's tied to a specific standard and a specific number. TS 13661 for water, TS EN 15288 for structure and safety, and — for competition pools only — World Aquatics for geometry: three separate checks, not one interchangeable phrase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TS 13661?+
TS 13661 is the German technical standard for swimming pool water treatment and disinfection. It defines turnover time (how often the full pool volume must be filtered), filtration rate, and disinfectant dosing limits by pool type — for example, a 4-hour turnover for competition pools versus 6-8 hours for private residential pools.
What does TS EN 15288 cover, and is it mandatory?+
TS EN 15288 covers swimming pool safety in two parts: Part 1 (design & construction — depth markings, slip resistance, hydraulic drain safety) and Part 2 (operational safety management). It applies to private, commercial, and public pools in Turkey and is the reference standard used in technical specifications and municipal/permitting review.
When does the FINA / World Aquatics standard apply instead of TS 13661?+
FINA/World Aquatics rules govern pool geometry, lane configuration, depth, water temperature, and timing systems specifically for official competition pools — they don't replace TS 13661's water-quality requirements, they layer on top of them. A competition pool must satisfy both: World Aquatics for its dimensions and equipment, TS 13661 for its water treatment.
Does a private residential pool need to comply with any of these standards?+
TS EN 15288 applies to private pools directly on safety matters (depth marking, slip resistance, drain safety). TS 13661 is not legally mandatory for private pools in Turkey, but it is the technical reference most contractors use to size filtration and turnover time correctly — designing without it means guessing at circulation capacity instead of calculating it.
How can I verify a contractor is actually designing to these standards?+
Ask for the specific numeric target for your project — turnover time in hours, filtration rate in m/h, or the slip-resistance class specified for the deck. A generic answer like "we follow international standards" without a number attached means the standard is being referenced in marketing language, not in the actual calculation.
Check Your Project Against These Standards
Request a turnover-time and filtration-rate calculation, or view our ISO-certified process documentation — no obligation.
