NSPF Blog
While competition might drive our industry, we’re convinced that collaboration elevates it. Our sponsors know this... They’re always ready to be standard bearers for an attentive, responsive aquatics industry—and they know that’s usually a team effort.
Ten networking how-to's to keep in mind during the 15th annual World Aquatic Health™ Conference!
The overarching principle in quality service is to understand how each facet of the work influences every other part of the job. Using our work as an example, it’s interesting how the end of every season sets the stage for the next. The way we treat the water and close down the system in the fall will have everything to do with what we have to contend with when we come back and open our pools in the spring.
WAHCity is an occasion for local collaboration, team-building, and family time—all in your neck of the woods.
The Personal Health Investment Today Act (PHIT), which recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives, amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow medical care tax deductions for up to $1,000 for qualified sports and fitness expenses per year.
It's time to spotlight the #WAHC2018 Insider's Tour, a fan favorite for pool operators, facility managers, and builders of all kinds!
It's time to spotlight the #WAHC2018 Insider's Tour, a fan favorite for pool operators, facility managers, and builders of all kinds!
Today we’re highlighting a #WAHC2018 session focused on legal issues in aquatics, as well sessions that might dovetail with that discussion.
This year’s World Aquatic HealthTM Conference takes a special interest in accessibility and design! Learn more about what keynote speakers Eadric Bressel and Feras Irikat have in store. And don't miss your chance for an incredible deal on WAHCity group registrations!
While I’ve always been focused on health and safety, those worries in and around the water came to fruition when my kids got sick using a public swimming pool and suffered some rather serious respiratory conditions.
It is now officially three months until the World Aquatic Health™ Conference! You have just three weeks left to save $100 on registration before the price rises to a final $595. Tuesday, July 31 will be the last day to register at $495.
I’ve written about the beauty of building swimming pools and spas with water quality and serviceability in mind from the very start of a project. Although almost any body of water can be retrofitted with systems and features designed to generate quality, resilient water, it’s always better when it’s done right the first time.
Poster presentations allow aquatic professionals to share their knowledge and findings with the attendees of the World Aquatic HealthTM Conference.
The Advanced Service Concepts Track will focus on leadership strategies, career planning, chemical billing, fraud prevention, and staffing strategies for risk management.
Who should attend WAHC and WAHCity? What will you discover there? Learn more in this post.
When discussing chemical treatment options for pools and spas, I’m often asked about saltwater chlorination. Many people have heard a lot of good things about it and are curious if it’s a good choice for them.
While battling this summer heat, it's not too early to think about a working vacation in October!
Fan favorite WAHC Track, New Industry Technology is back, stronger than ever! Manufacturers, Pool Operators, Aquatic Directors, EH Officials, Builders and Designers, Facility Managers, and NSPF Instructors will enjoy these sessions and the opportunity to add to their knowledge of best practices.
Outbreaks associated with exposure to treated recreational water can be caused by pathogens or chemicals in venues such as pools, hot tubs/spas, and interactive water play venues (i.e., water playgrounds). During 2000–2014, public health officials from 46 states and Puerto Rico reported 493 outbreaks associated with treated recreational water.
Next week marks the 14th running of the Healthy and Safe Swimming Week, which focuses on simple steps that swimmers and pool operators can take to reduce the risk of RWIs. WAHC 2018 offers a track with a strong focus on RWI Prevention. When you attend the RWI Prevention Track, you can incorporate what you learn in next year’s Healthy and Safe Swimming Week!
Who Should Attend?
New this year, the Design & Engineering WAHC track covers topics beneficial for Aquatic Directors, Parks and Recreation Officials, Homeowner Association Managers, and, of course, Builders and Designers.
Who Should Attend?
The Increasing Fun & Reducing Risk (aka Drowning Prevention) WAHC track covers topics that would be beneficial for Aquatic Directors & Facility Managers, Pool Operators, Parks and Recreational Officials, Hotel Pool Operators, Lifeguards, and Home Owners Associations.
Counsilman Hunsaker and NSPF recently collaborated to launch a web-based app for aquatic professionals around the world: Facility Manager. While pool operators are still learning of the app and requesting demos for more information, we’ve already had a few success stories.
Every aquatic professional is either impacting, or being impacted by, the quality of water. And although we are continually developing, utilizing, and improving technology to impact water quality, there is more to the solution than best practices.
Who Should Attend? The Facility Management WAHC track covers topics beneficial for Aquatic Directors, Facility Managers, Parks and Recreation Officials, Homeowner Association Managers, and Pool Operators of all types of venues.
For more than 100 years, chlorine has been the primary chemical used to treat swimming pool water and public drinking water. It remains in widespread use in spite of the fact that it has stiff competition from so-called alternative sanitizers.
Who Should Attend? The Improving Water & Air Quality Track addresses topics beneficial for Aquatic Directors, Facility Managers, Pool Builders/Designers/Engineers, Manufacturers, and Pool Operators of indoor venues of all types.
Ultraviolet (UV) water treatment is both an exciting and somewhat mysterious way to sanitize water. In recent years, it’s become widely used in managing swimming pool water because it’s been proven an effective way to control pathogens without adding any chemicals to the water whatsoever.
If you look at the original plans for many commercial aquatic facilities, it’s surprising the number of them that were designed with plumbing and electrical systems meant to accommodate ozone systems. Yet, many never had the systems installed. Likewise, when I talk to facility managers and pool operators, they may know some things about ozone but are simply not interested.
Too often you smell the indoor swimming pool before you see it. And once you see it, you’ll hear about it with the common refrain, “That pool must use a lot of chlorine!” The chlorine-like smell may trick the layperson into thinking this is a normal consequence...
Please mark your calendar and join NSPF and The Alliance at the Western Pool & Spa Show on Saturday, March 17th from 8:00-9:45 AM in the Room S5 of the Long Beach Convention Center for a town hall-style meeting!
The ability to swim has several benefits which include, but are not limited to, providing a healthy form of exercise, decreasing the chance of disease, and lowering risk of drowning. Swimming is an attractive form of exercise because it does not involve the bearing of body weight...
Pool professionals help ensure public safety by securing swimming pool gates and aquatic facility fences. Recently, a thread was created on the Certified Pool Operator Facebook group about how to organize keys, and NSPF thought this would be a great time to provide a few ideas to CPO and AST Certified professionals.
It’s no secret that at times I’ve been critical of the state of education in the aquatics/pool/spa industry.
One of the biggest challenges with aquatic facilities today is managing indoor air quality. Everyone is looking for the silver bullet that will solve all our problems, but it doesn’t exist … yet. For now, it will take a little effort from everyone to help improve the current situation. Let’s look at the main areas that impact air quality.
You don’t have to be a hydrologist to know that water has both a light and a dark side. On one hand, we know all about the existential importance of water as a natural resource, we simply cannot live without it.
There’s a saying in French cooking that I’ve always loved: mise en place. Translated it means, “everything in its place,” or as I was taught in culinary school, “the state of readiness.”
It might sound surprising, but I’ve long seen a direct connection between the culinary arts and maintaining the highest standard for water quality.
The 2017 Biennial Conference vote is in! See below for more information.
The Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) announces that Alvaro Mendoza, co-founder and President of Commercial Energy Specialists, Inc. (CES), of Jupiter, Florida has been elected as the newest member of the CMAHC Board of Directors.
Time is running out to submit your vote on the 179 proposed changes to the MAHC-Only 3 days left before the electronic voting closes at midnight EST on November 19, 2017. To access the voting module on the CMAHC website, you must be a CMAHC member and be signed in on the website.
As is true of most endeavors in which us humans diligently apply ourselves, the art and science of recreational water treatment become more complex and sophisticated as time goes along.
We just finished the two-day CMAHC Conference extravaganza going over 2017 Change Requests, Members are voting.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the 14th Annual World Aquatic Health Conference in Denver, Colorado. It was the second time I’ve made it to the event, which is produced by the National Swimming Pool Foundation. Like the first time around, I found the experience incredibly stimulating and inspiring.
We want you to have the time of your life at the 14th Annual World Aquatic Health Conference! We’ve prepared a few tips for you, and if you keep these in mind, you should have a rewarding and enlightening time at the industry’s top educational conference. See you in Denver soon!
Are you interested in attending the 14th Annual World Aquatic Health™ Conference but are stuck at home because your boss didn’t approve of the expense? Or maybe it is just too far away in Denver, CO?
At NSPF, we believe that everything we do helps more people live happier and healthier lives through aquatic activity and immersion.
What is it about the way the ocean moves, reflects, glimmers and glows that mesmerizes and transfixes us?
This year the World Aquatic HealthTM Conference is taking a special interest in the professional development of the industry.
Will you be attending the International Pool Spa Patio Expo and Conference this year in Orlando, Florida? NSPF® and GENESIS® host a wealth of options for you October 29–November 3. Let’s take a peek at the 2017 offerings.
There has been tragic news from Texas and Louisiana and we know that some of you live in those areas hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. We hope that you and your families/aquatic facilities/health departments/companies are OK and that the road to recovery is not too arduous.
This year the World Aquatic Health Conference will take place in the illustrious Mile High City - Denver, Colorado. The host hotel, Omni Interlocken, is located between Denver and Boulder in Broomfield, known for its beautiful scenery. As we get closer to October 18th, let’s review the top ten things to do in the area of this year’s WAHC.
Water chemistry in public pools and spas has regained focus in recent years as more relevant data becomes available.
The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) is a collaborative effort of public health, academia, and the aquatics industry, working to protect individuals, families, and communities from preventable waterborne diseases and injuries through evidence-based guidance.
It's nearly the end of August. October is only a few weeks away! We will all be attending the 14th Annual World Aquatic HealthTM Conference, but there is so much more than just the conference taking place on October 18-20. Be sure to review our Pre- and Post-Conference Events to plan your trip accordingly.
We're less than two months out for #WAHC2017 and our hotel block at the Omni Interlocken is filling up! We want to take a moment and remind all future attendees to book their hotel room now. If you plan on staying in the discounted room block at the Conference Hotel, you'll want to reserve your room today, the deadline is Tuesday, September 26.
It is just a little more than 60 days until the 2017 Biennial Conference; see the “Countdown to 2017 CMAHC Conference” on our front page for the exact number of days!
Over the past several years, swimming pool accessibility has become a significant factor for recreational facilities throughout the United States.
The Advanced Service Concepts track provides instruction on enhancing service company profitability through business best practices including risk management, accounting, and talent selection.
Hello, mid-summer! It is now officially 13 weeks until the World Aquatic Health™ Conference! October 18 is right around the corner - you have less than two weeks to save $100 on registration before the price rises one last time to a final $595. Monday, July 31 will be the last day to register at $495, will you save the money now?
It is less than 120 days until the 2017 Biennial Conference; see the “Countdown to 2017 CMAHC Conference” on our front page for the exact number of days!
Although they were invented over 60 years ago, they existed in relative obscurity throughout much of their existence.
Who Should Attend?
As NSPF always believes, if we create more swimmers and show the public how lives can be improved through water, the industry itself will grow.
Who Should Attend?
Training for Business Growth is a brand new track debuting this #WAHC2017.
Who Should Attend?
Fan favorite WAHC Track, New Industry Technology, is coming back stronger than ever this year.
It's time to shine a spotlight on #WAHC2017 Insider's Tour, a fan favorite for pool operators, facility managers, and builders of all kinds!
Who Should Attend?
The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) has the potential to impact the entire aquatics industry, but this track will most directly benefit NSPF Instructors, environmental health officials, parks and recreation officials, and manufacturers.
Who Will Benefit Attending This Course?
Public Health is a main concern for all industries, but it is especially relevant to the aquatics industry.
Who Should Attend?
The topics discussed in this track will grab the attention of pool operators, facility directors, NSPF Instructors, and even manufacturers! Anyone can learn about effects and benefits of water chemistry.
Who Should Attend?
The Facility Management WAHC track covers topics that would be beneficial for Aquatic Directors & Facility Managers, Pool Operators, Parks and Recreational Officials, Hotel Pool Operators, and Home Owners Associations.
Swimming is a wonderful sport and activity. In my opinion, its benefits far outweigh the negative perception from reports that people pee in the pool.
The CMAHC greeted 2017 knowing this is a Vote on the Code Biennial Conference year. As a result, we will all be busy through December making the MAHC the most pertinent, up-to-date aquatics health and safety reference and guidance document.
Everyone agrees, Colorado’s Swimming Pool and Mineral Bath regulations (5 CCR 1003-5) are woefully outdated.
Can the often-feuding manufacturers of airside and waterside products come together to help create the ultimate indoor pool?
Though it is a popular training technique and even seen as a feat of strength, prolonged breath holding can be extremely dangerous.
Not too long ago in the fall of 2014, aquatics enthusiasts far and wide celebrated the release of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) first edition of the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), affectionately known as the “MAC,” and MAHC the Annex, the code’s supporting materials.
Dear Generous and Thoughtful Supporters of the Step Into Swim™ Campaign:
If the question was asked to an adult can they swim, majority of the time the answer would be yes.
The previous post Indoor Air Quality vs. Water Quality: Indoor moisture and how to combat it did a good job covering the basics of indoor air quality in pools. This addendum in blog format is to expand upon that article and introduce more facts about the problem.
Safety signs are a critical part of the water safety program at your swimming pool. They help to keep swimmers safe from harm and to fulfill your legal duty to warn. Your signs may be providing a layer of protection for your guests – but are they providing an effective layer of protection?
The NSPF has been provided with another CMAHC update and we wanted to provide the below information to you all. This was an email provided by CMAHC Executive Director, Douglas Sackett.
Over the last ten years, there have been a number of accidents involving electrical shock or electrocution in pools. These accidents have occurred due to electrical faults in the residence that found ground in a pool because an underwater light was not brought up to the National Electrical Code after the pool was re-plastered.
The following information was provided by Doug Sackett, Executive Director of the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC). We thought you might find this information pertinent and interesting to you. We ask you to share this news with the appropriate people in your circle. Thank you!
Hurricane season is upon us—let’s be prepared! Check out the tips below from NSPF partner Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA).
Blog By Andrea Salzman, MS, PT of Aquatic Therapy Univeristy
Join Andrea Salzman on October 19-20th at the World Aquatic HealthTM Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Looking to Gain Your CPO® Certification? Consider a Blended Format Training
NSPF CPO Certification LogoThere are two ways to get your CPO Certification, one of the few training certifications accepted in the 24 states that require pool operator training.
Taking a course online can have many benefits for a student. At its best, taking online courses creates a self-paced learning atmosphere, and here at the National Swimming Pool Foundation, we provide many kinds of online training for aquatic professionals.
Oh my, it's nearly the middle of September and #WAHC2016 is only about a month away!
Learn More About This Year’s Renowned Speakers
This year, the World Aquatic HealthTM Conference is offering a special insight to what water can do for your body, mind, and soul with opening Keynote Speakers, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols and Bruckner Chase. B
Who Should be There?
Advanced Filtration Science is a great track for manufacturers, pool operators, CPO Certification holders, NSPF Instructors, academia, and even builders. Filtration is one of the most important components for a clean and healthy pool.
The late Zig Ziglar would often say, “You can achieve just about anything you want, if you just help enough other people achieve what they want.” This was an eloquent way to reinforce the importance to serve and collaborate with others. Of course, a relationship and trust must be created before there is an opportunity to help others achieve what they want.
Are you an aquatic professional that is interested in learning how other facilities operate on a day-to-day basis?
What is OSHA?
OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) is the main federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation.
Even though most of the news leading up the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Rio on Aug. 5 has been depressingly negative, many key semifinal and final swimming events will be held in prime time in the United States beginning Aug. 6.
Whoa! Where does the time go? It is now officially 12 weeks until the World Aquatic Health™ Conference!
Aquatic Therapy Day, Float Tank Workshop, and Build a Swimming Pool Slotted Before and After 2016 WAHC
As the 2016 World Aquatic Health Conference™ registration discount deadline nears, convince your boss the experience outweighs the cost!
How to Keep NSPF in your News Feed
At a recent high school graduation party, my wife and I reconnected with several other parents we met over the years because our kids swam together. The last time I saw some of them was in 2012, while I spoke with others earlier that week. In a few cases, their kids no longer swim; in others, they’re now on college teams.
This year’s Health Benefits WAHC track is a bit different than our other tracks offered. Health Benefits will be more of a compilation of several two-hour workshops led by Keynote Speakers Author Wallace J. Nichols and Professional Aquaman Bruckner Chase; they will be both the speakers and moderators for this new take on Health Benefits.
This year the World Aquatic Health Conference will take place in Music City: Nashville, Tennessee! As the weeks breeze by, keep these awesome events, activities, places, and things to do in mind when you plan for your trip in October.
On this side of life, we don’t know how broadly we influence our world. It is with sadness that we acknowledge Ray Essick’s passing.
Poster presentations are an opportunity for anyone in the aquatics field to share their knowledge and findings with the attendees of the World Aquatic HealthTM Conference.
How many times have conversations with swim-lesson parents gone something like this?
Parent: My son loves the water. I’m so glad I put him in lessons at a young age.
The Advanced Service Concepts track provides instruction on enhancing service company profitability through creating efficiency, increasing service quality, and saving customers time and money.
WAHC Attendees have until June 1st to save $50 on Registration!
It may not seem like it, but the World Aquatic HealthTM Conference is fast approaching.
Next week marks the 12th running of the Healthy and Safe Swimming Week, which focuses on simple steps that swimmers and pool operators can take to reduce the risk of RWIs. The WAHC offers a track with a strong focus on RWI Prevention. When you attend the RWI/ Advanced Chemistry Track, you can incorporate what you learn in next year’s Healthy and Safe Swimming Week!
This October, Environmental Health Officials from across the nation will be converging in Nashville, Tennessee to educate, network, and learn at the 13th annual WAHC.
Who Should Attend?
Fan favorite WAHC Track, New Industry Technology, is coming back stronger than ever this year.
Did you know that the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) offers both scholarships AND Fellowships for the furtherment of education, aquatic facilities, and sanitary conditions?
Who Should Attend?
The Model Aquatic Health Code is relevant to the entire industry, but Instructors, Environmental Health Officials, Parks and Recreation Officials, and Manufacturers should definitely attend this track.
The World Aquatic Health™ Conference (WAHC) is the aquatics industry’s leading educational conference. It is filled with seminars focused on recent scientific discoveries that...
Who Will Benefit Attending This Course? Public Health should be a main concern for the entire industry, let alone other industries. Specifically, this World Aquatic Health Conference Track can greatly benefit Environmental Health Officials, Parks and Recreation officials, Hotel and Motel Pool Operators, and Homeowners Associations.
Who Should Attend?
The Facility Management WAHC track covers topics that would be beneficial for Aquatic Directors & Facility Managers, Pool Operators, Parks and Recreational Officials, Hotel Pool Operators, and Home Owners Associations.
One spring morning in 2004, my life changed for the better. That’s the day I officially became a swim dad. Since that time, I’ve spent a good chunk of parenthood on the decks and in the stands at countless indoor and outdoor swimming facilities all over southern Wisconsin — watching my son and daughter compete at the recreation....
2016 WAHC Early Registration opens today! This is no April fool’s joke, you can save up to $150 when you register before June 1. The early registration rate is $445 between April 1 and May 31. But, you can save even more money if you are a returning attendee. A new special this year is the WAHC’s “refer a friend” campaign.
Have you ever entered another aquatic facility and thought:
Wow, whoever is the pool manager at this place is doing a terrific job!
Conversely, I’m sure you’ve walked into others...
If you operate a public swimming pool and aren’t using social media effectively, you’re fortunate your facility is still in business. By this point, your pool should not only have a presence on the three social major platforms...
Back in October, the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code held its first Vote on the Code. More than 100 people attended the day and a half conference and over 80 supporters virtually attended via the live stream...
When summer comes bustling into our lives every news outlet in every town across America starts promoting their respective “Drowning Prevention Month” through various forms of media...
Did you miss a few WAHC tracks that you were seriously interested in? Well if you wanted to catch one about Recreational Water Illness (RWI) Prevention...
In the last few years there has been a major breakthrough in understanding how to better maintain the indoor air quality of pool facilities.
This year’s WAHC has officially come and gone, there were several information-packed sessions along with wonderful networking within the aquatics field. Did you miss out on the experience?
