(a) A county, a municipality, or the department may by order close, for the period specified in the order, a public interactive water feature or fountain (PIWF), if:
- (1) the operation of the PIWF violates this subchapter;
- (2) the operation of the PIWF violates a permitting or inspection requirement imposed under the Act, this subchapter, or as authorized by the Act or this subchapter; or
- (3) the water in the PIWF tests positive for the presence of Cryptosporidium.
- (b) The closure order is effective immediately with or without notice and without a hearing to the PIWF owner or operator.
- (c) If the order is issued under this section without a hearing, the department shall conduct a hearing no later than the 10th calendar day after the closure order to affirm, modify, or set aside the order.
- (d) The hearing and appeal are governed by the department's rules in 25 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 1, Subchapter B, regarding Formal Hearing Procedures, and Government Code, Chapter 2001.
(e) A PIWF shall be considered closed when the following conditions are met:
- (1) a notice is posted at the public entrance of the PIWF notifying the public that the PIWF is closed; and
- (2) water is shut off to all features of the PIWF.
(f) When water from a PIWF tests positive for the presence of Cryptosporidium the owner or operator shall close the PIWF and notify the appropriate regulatory authority. The PIWF shall not reopen until:
- (1) the PIWF is hyperchlorinated following the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Recommendations for Aquatics Operators of Treated Venues "Hyperchlorination to Kill Cryptosporidium" available on the CDC's website: www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/; and
- (2) documentation verifying that proper hyperchlorination procedure was followed by methodology the same as or equivalent to the CDC's "Water Contamination Response Log" available at: www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/ is supplied to the appropriate regulatory authority.
Source Note:The provisions of this §265.308 adopted to be effective May 20, 2010, 35 TexReg 3828.