The PHTA website will be undergoing maintenance next week. From July 25–27, you will not be able to log in to your account, make purchases from the PHTA Store, register for courses or events, or access your on-demand education. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we continue to improve our website functionality.

Earlier this month, PHTA Director of Government Relations Jason Davidson was in Boston, MA, lobbying for House Bill 424 which establishes a statewide licensure program for pool and spa builders, service and repair, and maintenance. The legislation passed the House Consumer Protection Committee last year, and currently sits in the House Ways and Means House Committee for further consideration.

During the visit to the Massachusetts capital, Jason conducted a TV interview with NBC 10 Boston News to promote House Bill 424 and talk about unregulated pool contractors performing unsatisfactory work and taking advantage of homeowners.

The 2022 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo™, co-located with Deck Expo (PSP/Deck Expo), opened online registration for attendees. The event, put on by Informa Markets, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), and the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA®), is November 15-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Participants may register online at www.poolspapatio.com; early-bird pricing runs through September 14.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest activities from the PHTA Government Relations Team? Sign up for our GR Newsletter and GR Alerts to keep on top of what's happening nationally and in your state, and to learn about what you can do at a grassroots level to support our efforts.

In the July issue of AQUA Magazine, PHTA-15 Standard Writing Committee Chair Ken Gregory shares information on the updated ANSI/PHTA/ICC-15 2021 American National Standard for Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Energy Efficiency in the article "Revised Energy Standard Meets DOE Pool Pump Rule."

The next virtual C201: GENESIS® CONSTRUCTION SCHOOL: Concrete Pools starts this upcoming Monday, July 25! Registration ends Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET, so don't wait until the last minute! If you want to become CBP-certified before the busy summer season ends, now is your opportunity.

Plus, our instructors will be available an hour before class begins each night to ensure your classroom questions are answered, discuss real-world application of the material, and show you how our team is the industry's elite. We hope to see you virtually next week!

This year, WAHC is focusing on five educational tracks: Water and Air Quality, Codes and Standards, Facility Management, Employee Management and Aquatic Programming, and Water Safety. There are five Water and Air Quality sessions to learn from:
– Measurement and Modeling of IAQ Dynamics in the Air Above Swimming Pools
– RWQC Session: Let's Clear the Air - Air Quality for Indoor Swimming Venues
– The History of Legionella and How to Use On-Site Testing Methods to Prevent Outbreaks
– Sustainable Pools: Better Water, Healthier Air, Less Resources
– The Impact of Organic Contamination on Disinfection Byproducts and Legionella in Recreational Aquatic Systems

Plus, there will be an open discussion on the Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC)!

GENESIS® is excited to be offering two pre-conference courses at AQUA Live, taking place October 5–7 in Charlotte, NC. Choose from C201: GENESIS® Construction School: Concrete Pools or E211: Fluid Hydraulics for Pools & Spas. Then, stay for the full exhibit hall and floor seminars, featuring even more PHTA and GENESIS® education!

As a PHTA member, your company is eligible to receive exclusive discounts and customized pricing with the leading transportation providers in the industry. PHTA partners with UPS®, UPS Freight®, YRC (Yellow Transportation & Roadway), and Estes. Whether shipping an envelope or a truckload, these carriers can provide a solution. To sign up, visit www.savewithups.com/apsp or call 1 (800) MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377), Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. ET.

Stay on top of what others in the industry are talking about. This week in the myPHTA Online Community, the newest discussion is about:
– Interview requests

PHTA is looking for seasoned industry professionals who want to give back to the industry by sharing their knowledge, experiences, and advice with another PHTA member through our unique, members-only mentoring program. Your level of commitment is in your hands – you can select your start and end dates, identify how many mentees you’d like to accept, and approve or decline requests from prospective mentees. View our Mentor Toolkit to learn more.

The deadline for nominating a public health official or department for the Dr. R. Neil Lowry Grant is fast approaching! Submit a nomination form by August 12 to help PHTA recognize the individuals and deparmtents who have made outstanding contributions to advance the public’s health and safe use of recreational water in pools, spas, and waterparks through educational, safety, operational, and technical programs. The Lowry Grant winner receives $5,000 and will be honored during the World Aquatic Health Conference.

For the June issue of AQUA Magazine, the PHTA Recreational Water Quality Committee (RWQC) wrote an article on "Fighting Recreational Water Illness." The article explains what RWIs are, the types of microbes that cause them, how outbreaks occur, and how to treat and prevent outbreaks.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Reauthorization Act (VGBA) continues to gain support in both the House and Senate. PHTA has endorsed the bill, which seeks to reauthorize and update 2008 legislation requiring every public pool in the US to install safe drain covers that prevent suction entrapment.

In an effort to continue building relationships with allied associations and organizations, PHTA had a lunch with Anastasia Swearingen, the acting executive director of the American Chemistry Council’s Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC), to discuss ways we can work together to support the registration of important chemistries used for pool and spa maintenance. Both CBC and PHTA want to ensure that our members do not face further restrictions on the ability to use important sanitizer products such as chlorine and bromide when these products are re-evaluated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In our continued efforts to preserve important pool and spa sanitizers, PHTA submitted comments to the U.S. EPA jointly with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, CBC, and numerous other associations asking that the agency significantly modify a proposed rule that could result in significant disruptions to the chlorine supply chain.

On June 24, the House Appropriations Committee passed a Fiscal 2023 funding bill with H-2B cap relief language and a commitment for a bipartisan group of lawmakers, industry, and labor unions to try to negotiate a permanent solution beginning in late July. 

During of June 16 meeting of our Summer Work Travel and H-2B Coalition, our members heard advice and learned additional information about both programs from experts. The programs will help better inform our members as they continue to seek solutions to the current labor shortage.

Inc.
With some arguing that the latest jobs report should curtail worries of a coming recession, small businesses must prepare as if such a recession is a certainty. Founders who have weathered previous downturns share how they plan to navigate the potential coming storm.

Entrepreneur
Social media management tends to fall to owners of small businesses, who are likely short on time and may find navigating the rules of social media engagement difficult. To help ease the stress, Lara Betthauser, Yelp’s social media manager, shares advice on how to develop and maintain social media strategies so that your company’s online presence and revenue can grow.

PHTA is sad to share the news of the passing of John Romano. John was a passionate and dedicated industry leader who served a variety of roles with PHTA (APSP), NESPA, and CONSPA. He was the owner of All American Custom Pools & Spas in Norwalk, CT, and father of National Plasterers Council Chairman Rob Romano. We offer our sincere condolences to John's family, friends, colleagues, and industry peers.

Aquatics International
Last year, Florida passed the Every Child a Swimmer Law. Now a coalition of industry groups, led in part by PHTA Vice President of Partnerships & Development Rowdy Gaines, is working to get similar laws passed throughout the U.S.

Aquatics International
Historic pool and spa demand due to the pandemic has forced the pool and spa industry to adopt new language in the national pool drain cover standard earlier than expected. The change applies to drain covers made after May 24, 2021, labeled “APSP-16 2017.”

Spa Retailer
Consumer awareness of the swim spa has increased over the pandemic as a viable alternative to pools, although hot tub sales continue to be greater than swim spa sales.