On the Verge of a More Active Algae Season than Ever Before Due to a Nation Wide Chlorine Shortage – There Are Steps That You Can Take to Prevent a Swamp Green Disaster.
There are many fantastic books on pool care available that some exceptionally brilliant people have written. But, what we are lacking are publications and courses that are in-depth and topic-specific. I saw that a program on algae was one of those missing, so I have written ‘How to Get Rid of Swimming Pool Algae’. I’ve been through and taught other programs that merely touch upon the topic. Still, there wasn’t really anything available that offered enough education to equip one with the knowledge necessary to remedy algae problems as folks encounter them in the field.
Rudy Stankowitz, CEO Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants
How to Get Rid of Swimming Pool Algae
GREEN TO CLEAN
It doesn’t make sense that people are forced to reinvent the wheel and employ a trial and error mean to develop a successful protocol of care. The pool industry has been very good to me, and I would like to ‘pay it forward.’ So, I have written this book based on my thirty years of experience and developed the Algae Prevention and Eradication Specialist certification program.
As I said, the goal is ‘paying it forward’. That is why within the first few pages you will see that this book is dedicated to the people who maintain swimming pool(s) for a living. This book is for them – this book is for you.
Rudy Stankowitz, CEO Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants
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the How to Get Rid of Swimming Pool Algae book is available Now
A MUST HAVE that applies to pools of any shape or size, whether you go on to take the certification class or not, you’ll have fewer bouts with green, yellow, and black algae 🦠with this ‘How to’ book on your shelf.
Don’t spend money on expensive treatments! Swimming pool algae is easy and super inexpensive to prevent when you know what to look for. Rudy shares tips and hacks that he has learned over his thirty years in the pool industry to help your pools keep that crisp, clear, Caribbean look.
All algae are not the same, and cookie-cutter treatments don’t always work. Stankowitz takes the guesswork out of identifying what you are dealing with and matching the best treatment to the specific algae type. An excellent book for both residential and commercial pools.
the Algae Prevention & Eradication Specialist certification course is available beginning April 2nd, 2021
Rudy Stankowitz has created a handbook and course that will set you apart from your competition. This is the only publication with a 100% focus on swimming pool algae designed to help you become an Algae Prevention & Eradication Specialist. Now that’s something you can put on your card that will give you a marketable point of difference.
Be careful; this has the potential to become the most valuable book you own. Rudy has left nothing out, and he does it all utilizing real-world scenarios that make it easy to relate. The A to Z of swimming pool algae: How to prevent it, how to kill it, and how to keep it away. The best part is that the handbook can be used in his online Algae Prevention & Eradication Specialist Certification class (not included in the book’s cost).
In this book, you will learn:
Algae Myths
Environmental Factors
The Role Water Chemistry Plays
Conditions Different Algae Types Prefer
The Influence of Filtration & Circulation
Characteristics of Algae Species
Algastats and Algaecides
And More!
How to Get Rid of Swimming Pool Algae
“Rudy, your field samples are very interesting – and rare. There is almost nothing published on the varieties of algae in pools… If you focus on black “algae,” you will be the first person in nearly 40 years to document it. That would be really, really cool.” – Dr. Roy D. Vore, Ph.D., Microbial physiologist, Senior Consultant, Vore & Associates LLC, previously Technology Manager, BioLab inc.
“Fascinating!!!” – Dr. Tom Lachocki. Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Executive Legacy LLC, previously Chief Executive Officer, National Swimming Pool Foundation
“Interesting Rudy. I think it points to the importance of conducting a larger study where a number of pools are sampled to look for trends and how and if the trends correlate to certain pool parameters (indoor vs. outdoor, disinfectant used, maintenance schedule, typical swimmer profile, etc.). It also demonstrates the importance of validating the efficacy of a product in a field trial(s). At the end of the day, the best approach may be tailored treatment plans that are optimized for each pools, similar to the “personalized medicine” trend. Good work!” – Darla Goeres Ph.D., Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University
To see other books Rudy has written, visit his Author Page
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Time for another article to make us laugh. We all work hard and take a lot of sh*t – we are in a friggin pandemic for crying out loud. I asked my peers what the craziest things customers had ever accused them of. Here are the best of Pool Professionals Accused.
Accused: Dog Murderer!
“You installed a new heater and now we have an underground leak.”
“Your tech tried to break into our house and also killed our dog with antifreeze.”
“Our pump has worked for 15 years. Your guy must have broken it when he cleaned the pool.”
-Justin Pinson of Round Rock Pool Pros
Accused: Fraudulent Pool Resizer!
“We recently finished a remodel and the customer called and said the pool was 6” smaller [then it used to be]. I said that’s impossible!” Maybe it was just cold out?
-Tom Gibson
Accused: The Bird Whisperer!
“I was asked if I spilled chlorine on his deck. A flock of birds flew over and crapped on his deck and up the side of his house. How does an adult not know what that looks like?” No sh*t.
-Chris Mele – Pool Guardians of Florida
Accused: Jock Jerk!
Jacob Stankowitz was accused of “doing push-ups on their back porch.”
Accused: Petty Pool Larceny!
Trey Oakes was accused of stealing a polaris bag.
Gregory Wilker was accused of stealing grids out of a filter.
Rob Mathews was accused of stealing a pry bar for honey bees.
“You’re not taking care of my pool right. My daughter got scabies.”. This was not the case.
-Christian Donovan
Accused: Attempted Dog Murderer!
“Killing my customer’s dog.”
-JP Gulnac
Accused: Pest Pest!
“Did you put that scorpion in there?”
-Vincent Guerra
Accused: Peeping Pool Tech!
“Had a client accuse me of trying to catch a peek of his 75 year old wife nude in the backyard.”
-Scott Huesser
Accused: Tiny Terrier Thief!
Martin Perez was accused of letting a little dog out. “Turns out the dog was asleep in the house the whole time.”
Accused: Color Fraud!
“That superblue you sold me turned my pool green.”
-Matthew Lensch
Accused: Pipe Pilferer!
“Losing a pipe in a pool [I didn’t plaster].”.
-Steven Benedict
Accused: Assault with bodily harm (and fluid)!
Michael Dyer of Mission Pool & Spa Supplies has been accused of giving a woman who was peeing in the spa a UTI. He also was blamed for a guy popping off a piece of his finger in a lounge chair.
“Being butt a** naked wiping sh*t off. Either from slipping in sh*t or sh*tting yourself”. Wasn’t even his pool tech they saw!
-Kyle Mittermann
Accused: Spouse Sexing!
“Sleeping with his wife.”
-Christian Johnson
Accused: Frog Foolery!
“Putting a mechanical frog in his skimmer to drive him crazy”. He was already crazy.
-Tom Chambers
Accused: Booze Burglar!
“An employee was accused ‘that he was going through his doggie door and stealing his zimas and throw pillows’.” Apparently his F.R.I.E.N.D.S dvd was safe.
-Kris Burns
Accused: Float Freak!
A customer “said my employee stole her pool chair float! She found it later that day behind the shed.”
-Mark Becker
Accused: Salt Shenanigans!
Daniel Thouin got accused of stealing salt from a pool! Turns out the pool just had a leak. How would that even be possible?
Accused- Breaking Protocol!
“Dropping broken glass in her pool. 3 weeks in a row.”
-Chris Williams
Accused: Urinalysis Donor!
Michael Hamm had a guy accused of peeing in the driveway. Customer she said she bent over and smelled it! Gross!
Well, now I have heard it all. Just when you thought your job couldn’t get any weirder, right? Thank you to everyone that helped me have a good belly laugh over these. See you poolside!
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A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019. COVID-19 Pool Water transmission.
COVID-19 Pool Water photo credit Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS
It’s tough to figure out where to start on this one because no one knows what’s going on 100%. New information is added daily, and people make ? up. Besides sorting through the news blasts each day, we have to weed out the Tomfuckery.
COVID-19
I sent out an eNewsletter earlier this week, I guess that is as good a place as any. ? The Centers for Disease Control update states, “There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Keep in mind that even with the above we still need to be cautious in our activities around and about the facility, as with any other public location. If it is determined 100% that maintaining a chlorine level and pH within the recommended guidelines, we are only getting the pool water off the hook. Handrails, ladders, patio furniture, towels, gate latches, etc. are all still a possible means of transmission. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation is evolving, and the characteristics of the virus are yet to be determined. Showering before bathing and good pool hygiene practices are more critical now than ever before.
What Ratio of Bleach to Water?
Chlorine is the best thing to use both in and out of the pool. The American Chemistry Council’s Chlorine Division has put together a series of posters specifically for Health Departments. 1/3 of a cup of bleach added to a gallon of water and let sit for sixty seconds before wiping off. You can print these posters for use at your facility as well on their Water Quality & Health Council website.
“Although there is no indication that COVID-19 can be spread to humans by using pools and hot tubs, proper operation, maintenance and disinfection, such as using chlorine and bromine, of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19,” said John Norwood, CPSA’s Director of Government Relations.
We Are An Essential Service!
I think we are but are we? Things have started to get a little buck-nutty on social media since the state lockdowns have begun. The city of San Francisco was first, and people were told they have to stay home and not go to work “except for essential services.” Several individuals had created posts citing CISA Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response Version 1.0 (March 19, 2020). Specifically, page 9, Public Works: Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences.
COVID-19 Pool Water
The problem here is the section cited does not explicitly state Swimming Pool Service. The folks who made the posts (like the one above) are not wrong by any means. We are an essential service and should be exempt. But it gets tricky anytime any room is left for interpretation in anything. To make matters worse, the city of San Francisco and the states of California, Illinois, and New York have included a more detailed listing. These including the specific types of services that would meet this essential service exemption. Again, swimming pool service would be omitted from the list. But, we’re included, right?
With that, I decided to make a couple of frames for your Facebook profile pictures to support the cause and help educate the public. ?? Facebook Profile Picture Frame
Why don’t we just give ’em a call
Okay, so I’m not the only one to notice this. Actually, quite a few folks had, including the PHTA (Pool & Hot Tub Alliance). The PHTA sends an email yesterday morning encouraging Pool Service Companies, Pool Retailers, Swimming Pool Supply Distribution, and Builders to be proactive. The email (I hope everyone’s cool with me sharing it) instructed PHTA members to contact their legislator and convey that we are indeed an “essential service.”
☎ My phone has been ringing off the hook this week with questions from both my peers and former students. Add to that the canceling, and rescheduling of CPO classes due to the max gathering of no more than ten people rule. Then the notification from the NRPA (National Recreation & Parks Association) that all AFO classes (yes, I teach those as well) is to be canceled. It’s been a fun week.
The Florida Swimming Pool Association
The FSPA (Florida Swimming Pool Association) has taken a similar approach to the PHTA in encouraging its members to be proactive and call. They are instructing members to share information distributed in their eNewsletters with local health and building department officials to express that “pool maintenance is essential to public health.” The FSPA is also recommending that we educate our residential customers as well on the matter. They have taken the additional steps in initiating an ongoing media blast. This is designed to promote pool service as essential in efforts to further support their members.
The Northeast Spa & Pool Association
NESPA has been distributing a series of video updates with information
The California Pool & Spa Association
The California Pool & Spa Association seems to have made significant progress in that state and is confident pool companies are exempt from the ordinance. They are instructing that product delivery, sanitation, and operation of swimming pools, both commercial and residential, is permitted. IPSSA is on board with this and is referring their members to the CPSA website for instruction.
Cloudy water is one of the leading contributors to death by drowning. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4, the second leading cause if we extend the age to fourteen. With all of the schools closed and all of the kids home, the risk of this threat has increased exponentially. We prevent that. We prevent cloudy water conditions and if a potential customer calls, we can resolve cloudy water issues quickly as well.
The Texas Pool & Spa Coalition
The TPSC (Texas Pool & Spa Coalition) posted on their Facebook page, “As more information on COVID-19 is being disseminated by the federal, state and local governments, there has been a push to classify industries as essential or non-essential. Those deemed as essential can continue to operate as quarantines and restrictions are put in place. Contact Texas lawmakers and let them know that pool & hot tub maintenance is an essential service.” They do recommend that members refer to the chemical section of the CISA Guidance Doc (link above) should a pool company operating during lockdown need to justify why they are out cleaning pools.
Share This Video to Educate The Public
I put this video together specifically to be shared by pool companies to explain that our job is far more involved than skimming leaves. Pool Companies provide an Essential Service. They prevent waterborne diseases that can make people horribly ill. They prevent cloudy water which is one of the leading contributors to drowning. They minimize the potential for disinfection byproducts which can be harmful to bathers. Most do not realize that there are lives at stake in what they do. Please share this video ??????
So are we, or are we not considered essential?
Aren’t we? I mean, we may not be what comes to mind for most when they hear the term “Essential Service,” but pool companies prevent disease outbreaks daily. It’s not like recreational water illnesses are gonna say “oh sh*t man, my areas on lockdown. I guess we need to self-quarantine too. Hey, do you got any ??” Not at all. If anything, these waterborne zoonoses we battle on the day to day are gonna be like, “This pool is ours now, Bitch!”.
Unfortunately, without the CISA document naming pool service directly as part of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, it is likely to be subject to interpretation by the governing body of that geographical location. Even then we will need to hope that the lawmakers have communicated this message appropriately to their enforcement departments out in the field. ??
Help us to help you
If you are a homeowner and you are reading this, please spread the word on social media. Share your thoughts, share this article. No one wants to live in a state with thousands of swamp vomit green pools that serve as a mosquitos nursery. Poorly maintained swimming pools present an extremely elevated drowning risk and a home to recreational water illnesses.
Illnesses your pool service companies prevent: Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, E.coli, Adenovirus, Hepatitis A, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella, Leptospirosis, Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, Otitis externa, Naegleria fowleri, etc.
The Best thing we can do is educate. We are essential. Please feel free to share.
It is our duty to ensure that we do not end up with an epic Cryptosporidium Outbreak while everyone else is fighting another battle.
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