Warm Weather Brings Media Flurry
With summer in full swing, it comes as no surprise that there is a flurry of media inquiries coming the way of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. Both local and national trade and consumer publications have been racing to get stories complete to offer the most up-to-date information to the readers. From pool safety to pool trends, many of our members have been called upon to assist in such stories, and to position the Association in a positive light. Click to view articles in the Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and New York Times, which have incorporated APSP in recent stories.

ParentsMagazine Promotes Pool and Spa Safety
In the June issue of Parents Magazine, there is a call for grassroots efforts to support child safety laws. The two-page articleeducates the reader on what grassroots actions are needed to turn an idea into a law by presenting the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which was signed by President Bush on December 19, 2007. Nancy Baker took action after her daughter’s death by contacting the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the APSP, and Safe Kids Worldwide, to lobby for increased safety mandates on pools and spas.

MinnesotaEnacts Suction Entrapment Safety Legislation
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on May 22 signed a swimming pool safety bill into law that requires all commercial pools to have compliant drain covers in place for suction entrapment prevention by July 1, 2008. The covers must be in compliance with the ASME/ANSI standards. Operators will be required to inspect the drains daily and keep a log of those inspections. If a cover or grate is missing, broken, or loose, the pool must be closed until the cover or grate is replaced or fixed. The law is named the Abigail Taylor Pool Safety Act after six-year-old Abigail Taylor, who died in March as the result of a suction entrapment incident at a country club wading pool last summer. MORE.

APSP Members Announce New Covers to Meet Pool and Spa Safety Act Requirements
APSP manufacturer members Aquastar Pool Products and Hayward now have available suction outlet covers that comply with the requirements of the federal Pool and Spa Safety Act. Any APSP member manufacturers that have suction outlet covers and grates that are in compliance with the 2007 ASME A112.19.8 standard, Suction Fittings for Use in Swimming Pools, Wading Pools, Spas, and Hot Tubs, should provide their product information to Carvin DiGiovanni. MORE.

Consumer Product Safety Commission Releases New Report That Shows Increase in Drownings
At a May 21 press conference in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a new report that shows an increase in the number of pool and spa drownings. The report indicates that the average number of drowning deaths involving children younger than 5 in pools and spas has increased from a yearly average of 267 (for 2002-2004) to 283 (for 2003-2005). Industry attorney Steve Getzoff has pointed out that, given the increase in the number of pools in the U.S., the incidence of drowning deaths per pool has actually gone down. APSP’s Carvin DiGiovanni said, “As pool and spa professionals, we know that even one drowning death is one too many, and we must do all we can to encourage pool owners to use constant adult supervision in combination with effective layers of protection to get the number to zero.”  MORE.

New Energy Regulations in Boulder, CO, Put Pools and Spas at Risk
Boulder County, CO, has passed a new energy efficiency “build smart” law that will make it cost prohibitive for pools and spas to be built. According to an article in Boulder County's Daily Camera the new law requires all new houses, additions, and major renovations in the county to meet a broad set of green building and energy-efficiency standards. APSP urges members to regularly monitor their local legislatures for similar proposals and report problems to Carvin DiGiovanni. MORE.

Award of Excellence Deadline Approaching Quickly
The deadline to submit your entries for the International Awards of Excellence is only five weeks away. Each year APSP recognizes its members for outstanding pool, hot tub and water feature installations in more than 30 categories. This year we have added new commercial categoriesto the competition. The entry deadline is July 18. Enter onlinetoday. For more information click here or visit www.InternationalAwardsofExcellence.com.

International Awards of Excellence ad from Pool & Spa News

Harmony Ponds Wins AQUA Magazine Award
Harmony Ponds, Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia, has been honored with the AQUA “Choice Award” for April, 2008. A professional magazine for the spa and pool industry, AQUA chooses 11 outstanding examples of the state of waterscape art every year and features a winning project in monthly issues. At the end of the year AQUA will publish the best of the entries in a resource book. Harmony Ponds’ entry was the only garden pond to win an award. MORE.