March 6, 2026: Please don't drink the pool water!
Greetings,
Happy Friday. Yes, we're coming to you two days late, but I promise I can explain....
Last weekend, I spent two nights volunteering at a casino for the Alberta Parks & Recreation Association (ARPA). If you don't live in Alberta, you might not know that we are the only Canadian province to have a gaming model that donates to charity in trade for volunteer hours (under the guidance of a licensed gaming advisor) in key positions like the cash cage, count room, chip runner, etc.
To make a long story short, I had 2 x 8-hour overnight shifts last weekend to work out every single detail (flights, hotel, visa, transportation, etc.) to attend the inaugural IAAPA Middle East Expo in Abu Dhabi plus a hosted tour of Aquarabia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the end of March. My plan was to wake up late Saturday and book everything. Thankfully I hadn't booked anything because (like everyone else) I woke up to the newest conflict in the Middle East.
Having lived in Jerusalem for two years during grad school, I feel I can make an accurate assessment of what is media hype vs. what's reality on the ground, and for this trip I'm tapping out because it's just not worth it.
Also this week: I had three Certified Pool Operator (CPO) classes in five days in two cities in Alberta (NOT my standard schedule, at all) due to the panic resulting from the Canmore Inn & Suites mass casualty event in January. One documentation client unexpectedly got their operating permit this week while two other projects hit major snags. Offboarding & recruitment is happening for our Program Support Role, meaning that I'm covering more S&H than normal, so it's been a minute. (If you're on Instagram, I love this meme.)
What is this if not aquatics in a nutshell? It's a dynamic situation that others don't see or understand. It's the fecal contamination 5 minutes before the end of your work day; an exploding backflow preventer on the Friday before the long weekend; the frantic call from staff over the weekend that, uh, we've run out of sodium bicarb because you were so busy last week you didn't notice the chemical delivery didn't arrive as scheduled.
All of this is a long way of saying: give yourself grace for playing a never-ending game of Whack-a-Mole (or, if you're a Millennial like me, Hungry Hungry Hippos!) and still showing up during imperfect circumstances (such as not meeting your own very high expectations) to keep dozens of balls in the air with a smile for customers.
It's the variety in every single hour of every single day that I do love about this job, but it's also impossible to scale your effectiveness when everything on your to-do list is different. It's not you.
I mentioned two Ledge Lounger products in last week's newsletter and didn't link to either for more technical information. Both are filled with water to anchor them, instead of being bolted down.
Hoopstr Pool Basketball Hoop
Why I like this product: Smaller profile that doesn't take up a huge amount of space and easily moved around the pool deck; if kids dunk the ball into the hoop, and pull the equipment into the pool, it's not going to do as much physical damage to the basin as the metal frame & plexiglass pool basketball nets from other manufacturers.
Signature Slide
Why I like this product: fully capable of being submerged in the water, fewer pinch points where the equipment touches the basin/floor, a shorter run for less speed, fewer steps to fall down, a less slippery material doubled with traction on the stairs themselves, and multiple colors.
I found this information about the residential swimming pool market interesting because it also reflects what I've been seeing with larger commercial projects.
Further updates on the Smart Glasses discussion from last week:
Smart Glasses And The Collision Of Privacy And Consent
A new app alerts you if someone nearby is wearing smart glasses
Here's all of the aquatic industry news I've been reading over the last week. There's definitely a few head scratchers this week:
Child Declared Dead After Drowning in Pool Showed Signs of Life Hours Later, Expected to Survive
In my 20 years in the industry, I've never heard of a case like this with signs of life 5 hours after death was pronounced in hospital. I hope more details emerge.
4 Sentenced to 3 Years In Prison for Negligence in Death of 12-Year-Old Egyptian Swimmer
I wish we had more information about exactly what happened, including potentially why the lifeguards were not on stand when this incident occurred.
This was an actual headline yesterday:
It's since been taken down and replaced with this article: Downtown Omaha waterpark hotel reverses course, closes pool shortly after KETV interview
Related to this saga: Douglas County Health Department warns of safety issues at Omaha hotel water park
Denver City Council asked to step in over pool restrictions
This is an update on a story I shared last week. I'm usually on the side of municipalities to make their own decisions to recover operating costs, but who cancels an existing, long-standing contract before a new fee structure is created, approved by Council and implemented?! Something doesn't add up here, and it reminds me of this lawsuit in Scottsdale regarding pool rentals.
San Jose daycare operator enters last minute guilty plea in pool drownings case
The co-defendant is going to trial.
Pima County offering free recreational swimming at its public pools this summer
Oceania indoor water park south of Montreal opens its doors
It was actually a supplier at the World Waterpark Association (WWA) show in October who tipped me off that this project was finally happening because they stated they had physically delivered a surf pool to the site in recent months.
Construction on Kingston's Culligan Water Park progressing, says city
The Need for Water Replacement
This article is very heavy on the chemistry, but it is a thorough "WHY" of what's taught at the end of Chapter 13 in the Certified Pool Operator (CPO) class regarding the solution to pollution being dilution.
Altea announces major expansion into Edmonton with new 125,000-square-foot wellness & fitness flagship
Altea facilities are AMAZING in terms of design & amenities.
Parts of the ceiling have come loose - Alpamare admits problems
High humidity and insufficient HVAC for indoor aquatic facilities continues to be a significant problem across projects I've seen. The most famous incident that comes to mind is discussed in this study: Fatal Accident in Dutch Swimming Pool caused by Environmentally Cracked Bolts
The Impact of Chlorinated Water and Sun Exposure on the Durability and Performance of Swimwear Materials
The things you find on the internet when you're free reading for your job.
Two Youghal Ironman competitors drowned in event organisers felt was safe, inquest hears
I remember seeing footage of the surf conditions shared at the time of the incident and it's pretty damning.
I’m a drowning prevention researcher – my kid’s school swimming carnival shocked me
South Central Public Health drafts memorandum to inspect public pools
If you were a subscriber in 2025, you might recall Idaho first canceled public pool inspections outright, and has been working to bring them back.
People are 'mermaiding' all over the world
You May Want to Think Twice About Drinking Coffee on a Plane
I mention this because I think the source water contamination is a pertinent point to consider also in pool operations.
Cause of Death for Lil Jon's Son Nathan Smith Revealed to Be Drowning
Intoxicants were involved.
Mamdani’s Parks Dept. Aims to Offer More Recreation With Smaller Budget
This is frustrating because aquatics/recreation staff wages and facility operations are chronically underfunded and undervalued; we simply cannot do more with less. Exhibit A:
Thanks for your continued support & please enjoy your weekend.
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.