May 7, 2026: System, skill or choice?
Greetings,
I've been spending much of the last week diving deep into Ontario swimming pool regulations and standards. It's been an interesting exercise because it takes me back to my grad school years at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where I'd spend hours, sometimes even days, looking at source documents followed by commentaries and opinions before moving on to scholarly articles and books (I have an M.A. in Religion). I can do it effectively for 4-5 hours and then my brain gives up and I need to resume the next day.
Swimming pool regulations are very similar in there being many layers and associated considerations. The regs are created by (respectfully) dry legislators for the province or state entity, enforced by local public health inspectors (PHIs) or medical officers of health (MOHs) with scientific education and technical training, and then everyone else (from lifeguard training agencies to parks & recreation associations to industry trade groups, manufacturers and more) comments with their own interpretation of what you should and should not do.
Similar to graduate school, it's a very fine balance between having your own opinion, but supporting (and citing!) it with facts or precedent that meet local industry standards of care and practice.
The way I've been thinking about it falls into three categories:
System: is there a system (legislation, trade requirement, industry standard of care, etc.) that requires me or the client/organization to follow a specific system? This could be building code, pool operating code, employment law, accessibility/equity laws, labor laws, health & safety laws, amusement device laws, etc.
Skill: Do I have the skill/expertise to do something else? As a consultant, I think about this from the operator's perspective. I don't want to dream up something completely unreasonable that won't function effectively in the real world on the pool deck with. Will the operations/facilities/aquatics team also have the skill(s) to do something else different or better? How will this impact bathers?
Choice: Do we have choices regarding what we're going to do to address the problem? In speaking with someone recently about constructing a therapy pool for dogs (yes, that is a part of our consulting services, and this is not the first one!) the pool will not be for humans, so they have a lot more choices for operations and design than pools for humans.
I would encourage you to consider a similar framework in your work this week. Or, as Kate Connell said in a phenomenal webinar I recently attended: what is realistic, repeatable and replicable under different environmental conditions and context cutes?
This is a frequent question I want to answer. The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) Certified Pool Operator (CPO) certificate has a 5 year + 30 days expiry date from the time you write (and pass) the CPO exam.
Some provinces/states consider CPO a lifetime award, so it does not "expire" in the nomenclatural of that jurisdiction. Others, however, strictly follow the expiry date, and you will need to retake the entire CPO class within 45 days ~ of expiry if you are the only CPO-certified person on staff at your facility (you can only attend a shorter 8-hour recert if your certificate is still valid).
Layer on to that HR employment requirements; union requirements; lead hand/seniority requirements; on-shift facility coverage requirements; etc. and legislation may actually be the least of your headaches...especially if it means your wage will get downgraded temporarily if you don't have a CPO certificate.
Lastly, the knowledge to operate a swimming pool safely IS perishable. Even with operators I know are using their skills day-to-day to manage complex aquatic facilities, there is still something to be gained - and learned - by taking the CPO class every five years. The cost is about $110/year ($564 + sales tax) or $0.30/day, often negated by a higher specialized pay.
The complete 2026 CPO Class Schedule is posted here. Our May 25-28 is close to selling out, so please register soon to avoid disappointment if those are your preferred dates.
I love this new campaign from the YMCA in the USA!
Here's everything else I've been reading & thinking about in our industry this week:
Pool Company Files Suit Against City
Landmark Aquatic is suing one of their municipal clients. While I don't have any details on this specific case, I will say this is not surprising given my own personal experience in consulting. We are very selective about who we work with, and still periodically end up with clients who stop communicating, do not read provided materials, ghost action items and take no individual accountability for delaying a project and still request a refund for services they feel were not rendered! TL;DR I can absolutely believe everything Landmark is alleging happened.
The Testimony That Pushed Camp Mystic’s Leaders to Announce It Will Not Reopen in 2026
Click here if you get a paywall based on past website use this month.
City says Fontainebleau still needs board approval for water park, despite new law
National fire chiefs highlight male accidental drowning risks
"Statistics reveal that approximately half of these individuals did not intend to enter the water. Slips, trips and falls are cited as leading causes of these fatalities. Over 50% of these incidents took place in inland waters including rivers, lakes and canals."
Fort Lauderdale to Debut The Water District: A $220 Million Waterfront Development Coming in 2028
This will be done in conjunction with the amazing International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale. You can see some photos from Katie's recent visit here on Instagram.
How This Theme Park Complex Created One Of The Most-Watched Ads In History
Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark Mactan enhances guest experience with Muslim-friendly facilities
There's not a lot of details about how specifically this will impact the water park, but I would say generally we are move beyond aquatic facilities just offering women's' only swims. The latter are important, but not sufficiently comprehensive on their own if we want our facilities to be more inclusive.
A bomb threat report prompts police response at Paradise Cove Water Park
If you're not familiar with the term 'swatting,' you can read a definition here.
‘I am sorry': Defendants' family recounts rescue attempt in day care drowning case
Planning for the future of Kitsilano Pool
They're just starting this process, and I'm already exhausted.
Vancouver mayor pitches $400M investment in community centres under capital plan
Unfortunately, C$400m sounds like a lot of money, but it honestly doesn't go very far with multiple large, aging recreation facilities.
Inside Aquarabia, The Middle East’s Outrageous New Water Park
Vancouver park board restores lifeguards to most beaches
American Cruise Passenger Dies While Snorkeling at NCL’s Great Stirrup Cay
Keeping with our recent theme that snorkeling is dangerous...
Where Austin Learned to Swim
I would love to see more large organizations and municipalities showcase all of the pools or facilities in their system like this at least once per year. Yes, many bathers go to the physically closest pool in their area, but lots of people will also drive across town for specific amenities once and a while.
Pool chemical spill prompts evacuation at Tulsa Lifetime Fitness
A Coconut Grove neighborhood celebrates a new community pool
This is a really sweet tribute to the name behind the facility. When did we get away from naming pools & rec centers after local community heroes?
Man Sues Water Park After He Was Allegedly Assaulted While Defending Grandson from Getting Bullied
So many of our hotel clients rely on CCTV cameras to "protect them," but rarely is anyone actively watching what's happening in the pool area.
Buying Prescription Smart Glasses Might Not Be Such a Good Idea After All
Following our recent discussions about privacy & wearable devices, how is it going to go down at your aquatic facility if you ask someone to NOT wear their glasses in a private area (e.g. change room nudity) but they insist they require glasses to see/function?
Public opposition prompts Bossier City to reverse course on facility closure
Thanks for your patience with the erratic delivery schedule recently.
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
PS. The audio version of last week's news is available here.
PPS. The anonymous advice column is here.
PPPS. There will be further videos out on YouTube this weekend; life is life-ing as summer outdoor pool season ramps up and I am preparing for my husband to have a major surgery in less than two weeks.