Spa pools and water playgrounds - including interactive water fountains - will need to undergo mandatory licensing by the middle of next year or face penalties.

This will ensure that these facilities comply with chemical and bacteriological regulatory limits for water quality.

This was one of the changes in the Environmental Public Health (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in Parliament yesterday.

Presenting the Bill for debate, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that pathogens that lurk in water, such as the Legionella bacteria, can be transmitted through the inhalation of contaminated airborne water droplets.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that Singapore saw a total of 46 cases of legionellosis from 2015 to 2018, with four deaths during the same period.

All swimming pools that members of the public have access to, including those in condominiums, are already licensed by NEA.

The new Bill brings spa pools and water playgrounds under the Code of Practice on Environmental Health.

All aerosol-generating systems such as cooling towers, which harness evaporation of flowing water to cool a building, must also be registered, to enhance traceability and boost Singapore's preparedness in responding to potential disease outbreaks caused by these systems, NEA said.

Failure to get licensed or registered could entail fines of up to $5,000 for a first offence. Repeat offenders may be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to three months, or both.

Timothy Goh