The Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) certification program is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. In the last five decades, more than 500,000 pool, spa, and hot tub industry professionals have earned this certification, awarded exclusively by PHTA.

"The CPO program continues to be the gold standard by which state health departments develop and define their individual standards," says Fontaine C. Piper, Ph.D., Dean Emeritus of Truman State University and Chair of the PHTA Instructor Assessment Committee. "Without the original CPO certification program, the operational quality of aquatic facilities would not be as exceptional as it is today."

With the help of the PHTA Retail Council and PHTA Board Chair Charlie Claffey, PHTA is pleased to announce the launch of the Step Into Swim Round Up with Rowdy fundraising campaign. Named for Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines, PHTA Vice President of Partnerships & Development, this is a point-of-sale "round up" campaign. All funds raised will directly contribute to providing swim lessons to children in underserved communities through our Step Into Swim initiative.

We are asking you to participate in this program at your retail, service, or pool building business by asking the consumer for their support of Step Into Swim when they make a purchase. A poster, instructions for how to customize it, and a script are all provided at sign-up.

A little change can change a lot. It can save a life.

Pool builders who want to practice renovations and remodeling of old pools take on an enormous challenge that, if not answered, will merely produce the same unsatisfactory results in the new version. The two big-picture questions that must be answered before embarking on a pool renovation or remodel are how and why. To learn more, check out this article in AQUA Magazine from GENESIS® Co-founder Skip Phillips, Master CBP; Design Faculty Chair Kate Wiseman, MLA; and Engineering Faculty Chair Terry Brannon, P.E. 

Calling all pool builders and designers! If you haven't entered the PHTA Awards of Excellence before, now is the time. This year, we're offering ONE FREE ENTRY to each member company. We know our members create beautiful and inspiring work year after year, and we want to help you show it off! The early bird deadline (with $50 off each entry) is March 31, and the final deadline is July 10. Submit your best projects today!

Losing important documents is frustrating, especially when it's something as important as your professional certificate! If you need a new digital copy of your CHTT, CMS, CPI, CPO, and/or CST certificate, we are here to help. Please fill out our online certificate replacement form, and we will be back in touch within two business days to get you the documents you need.

The final in-person GENESIS® course being offered before the busy summer season is next week at the Master Pools Guild Spring Meeting! There are still a few seats left for our most popular C201: GENESIS® CONSTRUCTION SCHOOL: Concrete Pools, happening March 20-22 in Birmingham, AL. Learn from a team of industry experts and enjoy the classroom experience with plenty of time for networking with your peers and getting your questions answered by the instructors. We hope to see you there!

Visit the California Pool & Spa Association (CPSA) next week at Booth 324 at the Western Pool & Spa Show in Long Beach. CPSA and PHTA staff will be there to talk about membership benefits, upcoming education, our advocacy efforts in California and nationally, workforce development, and much more.

Terry Brannon, P.E. and Travis Bozick, P.E. are here to help you understand the engineering that goes into pool building! Brannon, who has 40+ years of aquatics engineering experience, is teaching the upcoming virtual E245: Standards, Codes, and Ordinances; A Builder's Guide to Proper Implementation. Brannon and Bozick are co-teaching the virtual E211: Fluid Hydraulics for Pools & Spas. This crucial element of pool building is often misunderstood, but makes the difference between a properly built water vessel and a hole in the ground. Register today!

Earn your CBP or Master CBP with two virtual courses from GENESIS®. C201: GENESIS® CONSTRUCTION SCHOOL: Concrete Pools will prepare you for the CBP exam and give you the fundamentals you need to build better pools. C410: Advanced Pool Construction takes those fundamentals and applies them to more complex situations, including major defect repair. These courses are both being offered virtually this spring. Save your seat today!

What sets GENESIS® education apart from the rest is the unique design philosophies of our instructors. From understanding the psychology behind color choices to knowing what shape and size the pool should be to best complement the surrounding landscape, our team of experts can teach it all! Take part in one (or more!) of our four virtual design courses this spring:
– D231: Color Theory and Its Application
– D271: Architectural Styles
– D265: Master Designer Methods: Kirk Bianchi, Crafting the Outdoor Space as a Living Art Form
– D280: History of Pools and Water Features

PHTA is now accepting presentation submissions for the 2023 World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC)! This year, we're offering sessions in three tracks: Advanced Recreational Water Chemistry, Pool Management, and Water Safety. The deadline to submit is March 31.

We’re upgrading our membership directory and we need you to make sure we have the latest and greatest in your membership profile. Please upload your logo, add a company description, and update your contact information and company rosters.

PHTA offers members low-cost Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on demand and a chemical spill control hotline that keeps your business OSHA compliant and your employees and customers safe. Subscribing takes the unsure out of hazmat management. For more information or to sign up, email membership@phta.org.

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Mentor Match program reflects our commitment to you and your professional development. This unique online networking and career development tool helps you find, connect, and share experiences with others. Your mentor or mentee can be in the same city or on the other side of the world. Apply today to become a mentor or mentee!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced a 90-day solicitation for grant applications for its Pool Safely Grant Program for state, local, and tribal governments. CPSC expects to award $3.5 million in two-year grants in Fiscal Year 2023 to reduce deaths and injuries from drowning and drain entrapments in pools and spas. The grant program is a part of CPSC’s national effort to make drowning and drain entrapment prevention a critical public safety priority.

CPSC is hosting an informational webinar on March 22 at 2 p.m. ET. During the webinar, CPSC staff will provide an overview of the grant program and address eligibility and components of the application.

Get the latest news on our advocacy efforts at the federal, state, and local levels, and find out ways you can get involved. Plus, get legislative alerts when there's an upcoming event or action item in your area.

Need to get employees up to speed on the pool industry fast? This introductory course from PHTA Strategic Partner LOU delivers the basic information needed for any new employee! Follow LOU's interactive training process, and learn about pool types, circulation,  filtration, cleaning and water chemistry. Implement consistency and continue providing the highest level of customer service.

PoolPro Magazine
Consumers are exposed to roughly 10,000 ads every day, so to stand out from the crowd without breaking the bank, pool companies should engage in more creative marketing campaigns.

Multichannel Merchant
Trends come and go, but by developing a marketing strategy that puts consumers’ needs first and solves a problem they are facing, companies can better retain customers.

In response to the recent storms across the state and in an effort to continue combating drought, Governor Gavin Newsom of California issued an Executive Order allowing for farmers and others to store excess water without environmental review.