By Katie Crysdale — Aug 26, 2026

August 26, 2026: Will your pool systems get hacked?

Good Morning,

Have you ever thought about the security of your swimming pool mechanical systems? Core components such as chemical feeders, temperature regulators, HVAC, electrical, etc.

Have you ever investigated if the pool controller is connected to the internet via wifi or physical cable? Is the controller hardwired with redundancies to protect from a power surge, or do you just have it plugged into a regular outlet without protection? Have you ever changed access passwords to something beyond the factory default? How complex is the password, or could it easily be guessed?

We remember to take back building keys after we terminate an employee, but most operators never stop to consider the potential for a breach from outside the organization.

I've been following stories about drinking water treatment plants and major utilities getting hacked by foreign operatives.

Hack of water sector supplier draws FBI scrutiny as Iran-linked cyber concerns grow
Paywalled, and I can't figure out how to access without subscribing. Sorry!

A pro-Russia crew filmed itself inside a Quebec water plant. What followed suggests Canada is being tested by more than one adversary at once.

Cyber Intel Brief: Handala Claims Breach of California Water Service

LELWD Case Study Resulted in ’60 Minutes’ Story

Those who've worked in pool operations for any length of time already know water is dynamic; we can't set it & forget it; managing water quality is a constant, daily struggle of time, resources and equipment even when we have the best intentions. What if someone doesn't have the best of intentions? Many of us couldn't imagine an airplane used as weapon until we lived through 9/11 (kamikaze pilots in WWII being the exception, not the rule).

I'm a huge advocate for increased connectivity when it comes to pool operations. I do think you should be able to automatically export water chemistry results to a spreadsheet; adjust setpoints from your smartphone; receive notifications when levels are dangerously low or high; adjust dampers during a deep freeze; etc. But each access point creates the potential for illicit access, or even just human error within our team.

Maybe it's farfetched to think a hack overfeeding acid or spiking temperature at a hotel pool in a rural area of a small jurisdiction is likely to happen, but if the hotel is part of an international, public-traded corporation, that may be the easiest way to access the biggest possible victim.

I can't tell you or your organization if this risk is reasonable or absolutely disproportional, but one of my super powers is to notice trends while they're still nascent (that's probably why you subscribed to this newsletter!) And from what I've been reading recently, I think this could be on the horizon. I think we should all consider how we might prepare (secure) our aquatic facilities & daily operations proactively now, rather than wait for a proven precedent.

I grew up in Ottawa, lived in Toronto for six years, overseas for a few more years, and then moved out to Alberta in 2013 because I was offered double the salary for a comparable job. Many times since the move, especially when I started Lakeview in 2017, people outside of Alberta have asked how a province of just 5.05m people can have so much work in aquatics?

Very early on after moving here, I met the sales rep for a large commercial aquatic company, based outside of Alberta. When I asked why they'd flown out to the conference we were attending in Edmonton, they stated bluntly: "Alberta pools purchase more product from us than the rest of Canadian pools combined."

This is not intended to be a flex, but I do want to follow up that story by illustrating with an announcement yesterday:
Westside Unveils $180+ Million Expansion Plan

Respectfully, this is not a special announcement here in Alberta. Calgary already has the two largest YMCAs in the world: Shane Homes/Rocky Ridge and Brookfield/Seton, both built within the last 10 years. MNP Community & Sports Centre is currently undergoing what is officially an $87.5m expansion (my sources say it's going to be much higher). A new $90m YMCA has been proposed for the western side of Calgary. Airdrie is spending $230m on a new facility. High River is officially spending $27.3m (again, my sources say it's higher). These are all within an hour of where I live.

Meanwhile, the community of 3,000 people where I worked for three years is finishing up a $46m expansion, last year Yellowknife (not Alberta, but immediately north) spent over $72m to build a new aquatic facility for a town of 20,000 people.

Pools matter here. I'm not going to call it the "Alberta advantage" and suggest we have it all figured out - for one thing, we do have a huge advantage: oil (and more) - plus long, cold winters that justify investment in community assets such as indoor recreation facilities

The Westside announcement is years in the making - it's a 26 year-old facility in a city & province that's grown substantially since people started moving here for lifestyle reasons during the Pandemic - but it's also just another day in the aquatics industry in Alberta. That's how we all stay busy.

Here's everything else I think you should know about this week:

City of Vancouver outlines three preliminary Kitsilano Outdoor Pool renewal concepts costing up to $300 million

New $54M Dakota Dunes spa sets December opening

Dallas City Plan Commission Approves Therme Group Plans
This is the same builder as Ontario Place, as well as ongoing projects in the UK & Singapore plus established locations in Romania & Germany.

Is Your Workplace Biased Against Introverts?

Science is pushing back on the hype over cold plunges
Click here to read without a paywall. I don't know that the "science" is why people are doing it, but this is an interesting take.

City of Tampa Offering Free Pool Access During Heat Advisories

MSC World America Lifeguard Arrested Over Alleged Sexual Activity With 17-Year-Old Passenger

Kalahari builds expansion with retractable roof

Colorado Springs pools struggle with maintenance closures
Circulation pumps are the second most overlooked maintenance item I see (after flow meters) when visiting clients. Circulation pumps over 4-5HP are not stock, off-the-shelf items. They need to be ordered or custom built and lead times can often be substantial (6-12 weeks) unless you pay a huge rush fee!

Trussville mothers rally to save city’s historic swimming pool from demolition
We need to differentiate between "saving the pool" and commemorating the pool. No one expects to keep driving a car long after core systems break, so why do we expect a swimming pool to be any different?

Billings Plans New South Park Pool to Replace 112-Year-Old Facility
I understand some male lifeguards work shirtless, but did no one think that would look odd, possibly even unprofessional, in an interview for the news?

Windsor Swim Club members demand accountability after health violations close pool
Going beyond the headline: it's a reasonable claim that if they paid registration fees, there should be some sort of accountability on the part of the pool management company.

Judge Dismisses Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case Against Olympian David Hearn

Operator fined in fracking pond drowning death in northern Alberta
Throwback to the workplace drowning fatalities newsletter last year.

Instagram is now banning pickup artists and pranksters who use Meta glasses

Swim club board member paid for unlicensed, hazardous construction work
Commercial facilities require commercial permits, equipment, qualifications, etc. You can only pick two:

Referendum delays recreation centre engagement in Okotoks

Lifeguard certification overhaul launched amid staffing crisis

Bills send condolences to Ed Oliver following death of son

Did someone wearing Meta Glasses film you today? Are you sure?

New indoor pool makes a splash in Loyalist Township

Upcoming Certified Pool Operator (CPO) classes:

Thanks to the Lea & Kelsey from StarGuard Elite (SGE) for chatting with me about the problem with all these viral videos with lifeguards faking being busy on the job.

If you've ever wondered what a pool or water slide is like on a cruise ship, this video from a cruise I took in January only showcases aquatic elements such as lifeguard positions, pool covers, signage, basins, etc.

Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate you being here. I'll be back next week with the last newsletter of the summer. Canadian poolies in August, we're right here.

Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.

PS. I know I said last week that I try to limit myself to resharing two videos each week. However! This chat got so much positive engagement, including from the military community, that I want to reshare it... even if you read last week's newsletter. 😊

PPS. I'm preparing content for October & November (when I'll be traveling extensively), so if you have any specific topic requests for this newsletter or YouTube, please hit reply and let me know!

No AI tools were used to research, consolidate, format or write any portion of this newsletter.

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