New ADA Regulations Published

New public accomodations rules from the Department of Justice have been made public. See Chapter 2 - Scoping and Chapter 10 - Recreation Facilities for pool-and-spa related information.

WSJ Column Misses the Point

Many people have commented on the recent Wall Street Journal article ("Taking a Bath on Your Pool" by Brett Arends) on the grounds that it overstates the cost of pool ownership. Those numbers tend to be high for many parts of the country, and there are a lot of things homeowners can do to reduce the cost of operating a backyard pool. But even so, while a pool may or may not be a financial investment, it is definitely an investment in health, quality of life and family. Just like a boat or a piece of art or a once-in-a-lifetime vacation or sending your kids to camp or a good set of golf clubs. You don’t choose to have those things in your life because they have a guaranteed financial return; you choose them because they return benefits far more valuable than cash or equity.

What’s the dollar value of watching your kids in the backyard pool with their friends instead of wondering what they are doing at the mall or some other hang out?

What’s the dollar value of starting your morning with a cup of coffee next to serene waters, or ending the day by chasing away the day’s stress in a bubbling hot tub?

What’s the value on giving your kids swimming skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives?

What’s the dollar value for Baby Boomers whose worn out joints won’t let them stay active with running or tennis, but who can maintain health and fitness with swimming or other aquatic exercise? And how do we quantify the savings to society when these aging populations can stay independent and healthy because they can maintain their fitness levels?

How do you put a price on having a backyard where the family loves to gather or where you can entertain for business or with friends?

The list of intangibles goes on and on. The point is that there are many, many things – including pools – which people choose to buy because it makes their lives better. A pool or a hot tub may or may not be a financial investment, but they are most assuredly a quality-of-life investment.

CPSC on VGB's Public Accommodation

The CPSC moved (a little) on an interpretive rule defining “public accommodation” with regards to the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act. The commissioners decided to withdraw the proposed rule issued in March and asked staff to draft a new one, which will be subject to a 60-day public comment period. Read the CPSC commissioners’ statements here:

Chairman Tenenbaum’s statement
Commissioner Nord’s statement:
Commissioner Adler’s statement:
Commissioner Northup’s statement:
Commissioner Moore’s statement:

Industry Leaders High on Summit

Arlington, Va., was host to 127 of the pool, spa and hot tub industry's most influential leaders who came together for 36 hours of networking, seminars and good company June 28-29. Conceived by the APSP's Manufacturers Council, the Industry Summit featured timely speakers on banking, industry and luxury -consumer research, leadership and social media. Read More

Larry Caniglia, executive director of NESPA reports on a New York State bill with implications for portable hot tubs:

The New York Senate has passed SB 8070 the Energy Efficiency Bill, which, if passed by the Assembly where it currently resides, will give the New York Department of State and NYSERDA the joint authority to write energy-efficiency regulations for a number of appliances, including pool pumps and portable hot tubs. The Assembly could act on the bill in the next few days. We will continue to watch the progress and are ready to act as soon as it passes and is signed by the Governor. We intend to meet with the regulators at that time to encourage the adoption of the APSP/ANSI standards on energy efficiency.

Pool Safely Campaign Focuses on Safe Swimming

CPSC’s much-anticipated pool and spa safety effort launched just in time for the summer season.

The “Pool Safely: simple steps save lives” campaign is a key part of the CPSC’s efforts to carry out the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act), which requires a national public education campaign to raise public awareness, support industry compliance, and improve safety at pools and spas.

Olympic swimmers Jason Lezak and Janet Evans joined Inez Tenenbaum, Chairman of the CPSC; U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL); and Nancy Baker, mother of Virginia Graeme Baker, to officially launch Pool Safely and release the CPSC’s annual submersion and entrapment reports at a press conference at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex

For complete information on the Pool Safely campaign, visit www.poolsafely.gov

The summer issue of APSP Quarterly magazine is available online now!

This week's APSP Store special:
Be Sure. Be Safe. Be in compliance.
APSP's VGB Testing Tool Kit makes it easy!