About eighty percent of pools not in compliance with new safety law.

The Wall Street Journal (1/20, Athavaley) reports, "The bulk of the country's public swimming pools are in violation of a new federal safety rule aimed at keeping people from becoming trapped in underwater drains, and some pools have begun closing down temporarily while they scramble to comply with the law." The Journal says, "About 80% of the country's roughly 300,000 public pools and spas, located in communities, hotels and fitness centers, still need to retrofit their facilities to meet the new requirements, which took effect last month, according to the National Swimming Pool Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes aquatic education" and "pool operators complain that the new, safer drain covers required by the law didn't hit the market until the fall and continue to be in short supply." A few pools have closed out of fear of legal liability.