(a) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons, club, firm, corporation, partnership, institution, association, municipality or county to construct, add to or modify, or to operate, or continue to operate, any public bath house, bathing, swimming place or swimming pool, natatorium, or any structure intended to be used for bathing or swimming purposes, indoors or outdoors, without having first obtained a permit so to do or being in possession of an unrevoked permit.

(b) Permits shall be obtained in the following manner: Any person or persons, firm, corporation, co-partnership, associations, institution, municipality or county, or other body, desiring to construct, add to or modify, or to operate and maintain any public bathing place, bath house, bathing or swimming pool, natatorium, place or structure, indoors or outdoors, intended to be used for hire for bathing or swimming within the Commonwealth, shall file with the department, on blanks prepared by it, an application for permission to operate such bathing place or swimming pool.

(c) Each application shall be accompanied by a fee of ten ($10.00) dollars, and by maps, drawings, specifications and descriptions of the bathing place, pool, or structure, its appurtenances and operations, descriptions of the source or sources of water supply, amount of chemical content and quality of water available and intended to be used, method and manner of water purifications, treatment, disinfection, heating, regulating and cleaning, and measures employed to insure installation of necessary lavatories, dressing rooms, segregation of sexes, and personal cleanliness of bathers, method and manner of washing, disinfecting, drying and storing bathing apparel and towels, and all other information and statistics that may be required by the rules and regulations of the department.

(d) Thereupon the department shall cause an investigation to be made of the proposed bathing place or existing place, pond or pool. If it shall be determined that the bathing or swimming place reasonably may be expected to become unclean, unsanitary, a nuisance, or may constitute a menace to public health, the department shall immediately refuse a permit therefor in a written order or decision giving the reasons for such refusal, and notify the applicant of said refusal.