Only four months after its launch in the heart of summer 2025, the national campaign « Tout baigne ! » of the Belgian Federation of Pool and Wellness Professionals (FBP) continues to resonate. Born from a simple yet alarming observation, 67 accidental drownings recorded in 2022 by Statbel. This initiative, carried out in partnership with the SPF Économie, carries a strong and solemn ambition. That of making summer 2026 the first summer without preventable tragedy around the 250,000 private pools in the country.
The Belgian pool market continues its rapid growth, underscored by rising residential installations. (CF Belgian Market ).
As the days shorten and winter sets in, encouraging owners to winterize their pools. This is the pivotal moment to take stock and, above all, to project towards the next summer season.
Patrice Dresse, FBP General Director, confirms 2026 will be a year of concrete action:
“Installation of devices, massive training, and why not, the adoption of a federal law.”
Summer 2025, marked by a severe heatwave, was an exceptional catalyst for awareness. Launched on July 16, the campaign quickly reached its audience ! As evidenced by the more than 50,000 visits recorded on the website www.toutbaigne.be. The urgency was palpable, and the success of the 15,000 downloads of the practical guide. Available in both national languages, proves the growing commitment of private individuals. The FBP’s webinars gathered 2,500 participants, mostly pool owners securing their systems before winter.
Yet, the path towards the “zero drowning” objective remains fraught with challenges. Statistics are clear, nearly 40 % of private pools in Belgium still do not have any active safety device. The variation in drowning figures, ranging from 58 in 2020 to 67 in 2022, cruelly reminds us that vigilance must be permanent.
Winter thus represents the ideal period to carry out the necessary work, installing barriers, alarms, and covers, so that everything is ready and compliant when the warm weather returns.
A Mosaic of Daily Reflexes
The campaign’s philosophy is based on a fundamental idea, safety is not a gadget, but a sum of daily actions. It involves a mosaic of good reflexes, never leaving a child alone near the water, installing a rigid barrier of at least 1.10 meters, opting for an intelligent perimeter alarm or an AI-based video surveillance solution compliant with the AI Act (whose obligation for compliance of pool safety systems is expected by August 2026). Added to this is the necessity of covering the pool with a rigid cover upon end of use, and imperatively providing a life jacket for non-swimmers.
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The contribution of intelligent detection is fundamental. These devices, now based on Artificial Intelligence systems, utilize computer vision to dissect and analyze shapes as well as behaviors in the water. Their prowess lies in their ability to instantly alert owners on their mobile application as soon as an abnormal movement is detected. They become, in effect, the essential complement to human vigilance, significantly reducing that famous intervention time, often critical.
But beyond high-tech equipment, personal preparation remains paramount. Safety essentials include having a phone nearby, displaying pool rules, daily water quality checks, and mandatory first aid training. With this preventive perspective, the FBP intensifies its action, starting in January 2026, the organization will deploy free online modules. The objective is to ensure every family acquires the vital reflexes necessary for effective response within the four-minute drowning threshold.
Winter 2025-2026 truly promises to be decisive for the sector. The FBP, fully aware of the stakes, is orchestrating an unprecedented mobilization, with an already tight schedule. Starting in January, the focus will be on the active training of professionals in the new requirements of the AI Act. Thus ensuring that the entire offering of drowning detection systems is perfectly irreproachable from a legal standpoint.
In March, the initiative will take on a major political dimension with the launch of a petition aimed at establishing a federal law on the safety of private pools.
This process, directly inspired by the French legislation of 2003, sets an ambitious goal of 50,000 signatures to shift the paradigm.
Spring 2026 will mark the kick-off of a national media campaign (TV, radio, social networks), whose budget will be doubled thanks to renewed support from the SPF Économie.
In parallel, concrete financial incentives will emerge to encourage equipment, local subsidies (up to €1,000 in Wallonia, for example) and insurance reductions (negotiated via partners such as Ethias) will be deployed before the summer opening of the pools. Finally, the FBP is not forgetting education, by relying on partnerships with schools to reaffirm the crucial importance of teaching swimming from the age of 3.
« Tout baigne ! » is much more than a one-off campaign. It is a fundamental movement, supported by the synergy between professionals, public authorities, and the commitment of families. The goal is to make every Belgian pool a place of risk-free pleasure. As temperatures drop, now is the ideal time to check, install, and train. So that summer 2026 is, finally, the one where « tout baigne » (everything is going well) for real.
(For more information, the updated guide is available on toutbaigne.be.)
