Articles
An Argument for Higher-Strength Concrete
07.05.2022
Pool & Spa News | Jonathan Dongell | January 2022
Surprisingly, there are no stipulated minimum acceptable requirements in any standards or codes within the pool/spa industry to regulate the design, materials, strength, durability or method of placement to construct a watertight and durable swimming pool structure. To ensure the promised life span of pools and spas, codes and standards coming from the industry should address these issues. PRO…
Industry Adapts to Changes in National Pool Drain Cover Standard
07.05.2022
Aquatics International | Rebecca Robledo | June 2021
The pool/spa industry is experiencing yet another byproduct of the historic pool and spa demand brought on by the pandemic, this one having to do with standards. In 2017, the code governing drain covers — ANSI/APSP/ICC 16-2017 — was updated. The new edition adds extra steps for drain-cover manufacturers, as well as the contractors who apply them in commercial installations. And, b…
Tracking the Data: How to Tell an Aquatic Facility's Story
07.05.2022
Aquatics International | Pete DeQuincy | May 2022
For more than a decade, I’ve written about in-service training drills and how to motivate staff in their frontline leadership role. I was driven to do this, in part, because I had personally responded to drowning incidents in both guarded and unguarded water. I witnessed the effect that drownings had on my staff and me. These incidents are traumatic. They significantly impact your psyche…
Avoiding Pool Chemical-Associated Health Events
05.10.2022
Aquatics International Intel by Solenis
Pool chemicals treat recreational water to prevent illnesses and outbreaks. These same chemicals, however, can also cause injuries if mishandled or used in an improperly configured commercial sanitization system. Having a well-configured sanitation system with fail-safe mechanisms can greatly reduce the potential for illness or injury, and these incidents can often be severe. For example, a fl…
Born of Necessity: New Practices from the COVID-19 Pandemic
05.10.2022
Aquatics International | Rebecca Robledo | April 2022
The COVID pandemic forced all kinds of changes to how aquatics professionals operated. Though most of these changes were temporary to meet restrictions, some facilities have found unexpected benefits, such as greater customer satisfaction and better staff communication, so they've chosen to keep a measure or two even after restrictions lifted. Here, two aquatics veterans explain some of these…
Developing a Common Language About Swimming Pool Color
05.10.2022
Aquatics International | Jonathan Dongell | April 2022
Understanding the lightness of a commercial pool’s interior finish is critical to bather safety. While many contributing factors exist, requiring a white or light-colored interior finish is the primary and long-established method of ensuring the visibility of a swimmer or bather in distress. This provides the contrast necessary to more easily see a person who needs help. This principle …
Devising Layers of Safety at Aquatics Facilities
05.10.2022
Aquatics International | Pete DeQuincy | April 2022
As summer approaches, it’s good to review your drowning-prevention measures. The four here are just a handful to include in a comprehensive drowning-prevention plan. A child-supervision policy is a fantastic practice to adopt if you have patrons with infants, toddlers, pre-school and school-age children. A child-supervision policy serves as a mechanism for lifeguards and staff to educate…
National Water Safety Plan Underway
05.10.2022
Aquatics International | Rebecca Robledo | April 2022
A comprehensive national plan to curb drowning in the U.S. is underway. The U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan comes in response to a recommendation from the World Health Organization that all countries figure out the best way to curb drowning in their area. So far a handful of countries have done so, including Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and South Africa. A plan in the U.S…
Swim Lessons in a Post-Pandemic World
05.10.2022
Aquatics International | Joanne McClain | April 2022
Now that COVID has eased up, things seem almost normal again. Mask mandates have been lifted, rush hour traffic is back to being maddening, and people are, for the most part, back to living their lives without being ruled by COVID fear. I'm so happy to be out and about, too, and have been spending some time at my local pool. In California, where I live, the swim season has started in earnest. …
Addressing the Lifeguard Shortage: Recruitment, Training and Retention
01.05.2022
Aquatics International | Pete DeQuincy | October 2021
I wish I could say, “We’re done with this COVID thing.” Or, “COVID-19 has left the building,” followed with a mic drop. But that’s not the case. Summer came and went. We did open on Memorial Day weekend; my agency prioritized recreational swimming for the public. Patron numbers initially were limited but, as summer continued, we expanded capacity numbers at …
