Free chlorine in a public pool: what each province requires
The free chlorine required varies from text to text: the minimum runs from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/L depending on the province and the conditions, and some texts set a maximum while others do not.
Last verified: official text read, then re-read by a second reader, on 26 September 2026.
The values
| Province or territory | Requirement | Text |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | at least 1.0 mg/L (water at 30 °C or less); at least 2.0 mg/L (water above 30 °C) | Regulation |
| British Columbia | at least 0.5 ppm (water at 30 °C or less); at least 1.5 ppm (water above 30 °C), no stabilizer; no maximum | Regulation |
| Manitoba | 1.0 to 5.0 mg/L, or an equivalent disinfectant | Regulation |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | minimum acceptable limit of 0.5 ppm (indoor) or 1.0 ppm (outdoor); no more than 5 ppm with bathers in the water | Ministry standard or guideline |
| Northwest Territories | 1.0 to 1.5 mg/L, as close to 1.2 mg/L as possible | Regulation |
| Nova Scotia | 1.0 to 5.0 ppm (not stabilized); 2.0 to 5.0 ppm (with stabilizer) | Ministry standard or guideline |
| Ontario | 0.5 to 10 ppm (general case) | Regulation |
| Prince Edward Island | 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L, or an equivalent disinfectant | Regulation |
| Québec | 0.8 to 2.0 mg/L (indoor pool); 0.8 to 3.0 mg/L (outdoor pool) | Regulation |
| Saskatchewan | at least 2.0 mg/L; or at least 0.6 mg/L if the oxidation-reduction potential is at least 650 mV | Regulation |
| Yukon | at least 0.5 mg/L (water at 30 °C or less); at least 1.0 mg/L (water above 30 °C); no maximum | Regulation |
Conditions change from one text to the next: indoor or outdoor, water temperature, stabilizer. Each row restates the text’s conditions; read the text for your pool. Nunavut is not in the table (the text read is a consolidation valid up to September 2017); neither is New Brunswick (no numeric norm was found there in September 2026).
Source
- Alberta — Source: Public Swimming Pools Regulation, Alta Reg 204/2014 (Regulation) —
kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2014_204.pdf - British Columbia — Source: Pool Regulation, B.C. Reg. 296/2010 (Regulation) —
www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/296_2010 - Manitoba — Source: Swimming Pools and Other Water Recreational Facilities Regulation, M.R. 132/97 (Regulation) —
web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/current/132-97.php?lang=en - Newfoundland and Labrador — Source: Public Pools Regulations, CNLR 1023/96, and Public Pool Water Quality and Record Keeping Standards (2019) (Ministry standard or guideline) —
www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/files/Environmental-Health-Guidelines-Public-Pool-Manual.pdf - Northwest Territories — Source: Public Pool Regulations, R.R.N.W.T. 1990, c. P-21 (Regulation) —
www.justice.gov.nt.ca/en/files/legislation/public-health/public-health.r4.pdf - Nova Scotia — Source: Nova Scotia Operational Guidelines for Aquatic Facilities (2014) (Ministry standard or guideline) —
www.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/documents/1-4334/operational-guidelines-aquatic-facilities-en.pdf - Ontario — Source: Public Pools, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 565 (Regulation) —
www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900565 - Prince Edward Island — Source: Swimming Pool and Waterslide Regulations (EC93/01) (Regulation) —
www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/legislation/P%2630-1-10-Public%20Health%20Act%20Swimming%20Pool%20and%20Waterslide%20Regulations.pdf - Québec — Source: Règlement sur la qualité de l’eau des piscines et autres bassins artificiels, RLRQ c. Q-2, r. 39 (Regulation) —
www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/Q-2,%20r.%2039 - Saskatchewan — Source: The Swimming Pool Regulations, 1999, RRS c P-37.1 Reg 7 (Regulation) —
publications.saskatchewan.ca/api/v1/products/1362/formats/2361/download - Yukon — Source: Public Pool Regulations, O.I.C. 1989/130 (Regulation) —
laws.yukon.ca/cms/images/LEGISLATION/SUBORDINATE/1989/1989-0130/1989-0130.pdf
To be confirmed with the authority. The official text prevails. These values are copied from the cited source as of the date shown; rules change, and a public health inspector may require more. Confirm them in the text before relying on them.
Tracking your water logs
Remanso keeps each pool’s water readings and judges them against the norm of its jurisdiction. A value whose reading is not confirmed judges no reading. Try Remanso for 21 days, no credit card.