Pool suction safety in Italy: what Article 4-bis proposes — and why it matters across Europe

The proposed provision is Article 4-bis, introduced while converting Decree-Law no. 108 of 26 June 2026 on urgent sport measures. It would require suction outlets in pools open to the public — floor grilles, drain outlets «or any other material» — to prevent vortex or suction-cup effects on any part of a bather’s body. A breach would trigger immediate closure of the facility until compliance is restored, while a 4,725,000 euro fund for 2026 would support upgrades. The proposal followed a series of severe pool incidents in preceding months.

Update, 2 August 2026: Article 4-bis has been introduced during the parliamentary conversion process. The Official Gazette still shows the original decree-law published on 26 June, while the parliamentary record gives 25 August as the conversion deadline. Until the conversion law is published in the Official Gazette, Article 4-bis should not be described as already in force. Check the official sources before making operational or legal decisions.

Article 4-bis states what must be guaranteed but cites no technical standard — no velocities, no dimensions, no test methods. The reference nevertheless exists, and it is European: the EN 13451 series, parts 1 and 3 covering inlets and suction fittings, alongside the Italian UNI 10637 for circulation and treatment systems.

Operationally, this matters regardless of the proposed sanction. Grille velocity used to be calculable from the open surface area of the fitting. EN 13451-3:2022 removed that option: the only admissible method today is experimental measurement with a water anemometer.

A second, frequently overlooked point: the installer must verify and declare conformity of the entire installation. Partial declarations covering only the component are not accepted.

Together these points show where a documentation gap may arise. A pool declared compliant on the basis of a calculation, with a certified grille fitted to pipework that was never measured, may be unable to demonstrate conformity using the method now required. If Article 4-bis enters into force, operators will need to verify how competent authorities apply it; missing documentation is a risk, but it does not automatically amount to a closure decision.

A reasoning error is spreading: upgrade the outlets, consider pool safety solved. These are two distinct risks with distinct dynamics, and they need distinct barriers.

Suction entrapment is a hydraulic risk that calls for appropriate design, multiple outlets, compliant grilles and suitable mitigation. A compliant grille helps address that risk but is not sufficient for other drowning scenarios, which require distinct layers of supervision, detection and response.

On the first front, mitigation layers can monitor an installation that has already been made compliant. A pressure transducer can detect readings consistent with an occlusion and trigger the actions defined for that site. With S.P.A.C.E. — Sensing Platform for Automation, Control & Execution, Aqutron can connect sensors, alarms and authorised shutdowns within one operational architecture, with interlocks, fallback and traceability. This function does not replace installation conformity.

Drowning risk requires a different response: detecting conditions consistent with a possible emergency and alerting designated staff, who intervene under the facility’s procedures. The technology cannot guarantee that every event will be detected or determine its outcome.

With conversion expected by late August, in peak season, these checks come first:

Because the conversion process is not yet complete, the final wording and effective date must be checked in the Official Gazette. Operators should not postpone technical verification: conformity and supporting documentation matter independently of the outcome of the proposed provision.

Separately, the Italian framework law on pools (C.2576) remains in committee, with its Article 15 set aside. This is worth knowing because it dismantles a reading circulating right now: no obligation to install detection systems has been introduced, neither in the sport decree nor in the framework law.

On standards, the international standard on recognising involuntary submersion (ISO 20288) is still a final draft and unpublished: no supplier can legitimately claim certification against it today. For computer vision in pools, EN ISO 20380:2018 remains the published reference, limited to non-domestic pools of 150 m² or more.

The proposed sanction is Italian; EN 13451 is a European technical reference. Its legal status, national adoption and application are not identical in every country, so operators should verify the rules and accepted evidence with the competent local parties.

The 2022 edition nevertheless makes measurement a relevant technical question wherever that edition is used. If a conformity file relies only on a calculated velocity, it is sensible to check whether the method and evidence remain acceptable for the installation and jurisdiction concerned.