News

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of the new Greg Garrett Scholarship Award. Developed by the PHTA Recreational Water Quality Committee, this $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to one PHTA member in the builder or service sector each year to use for PHTA educational or certification fees. The application deadline for the 2022 scholarship is Friday, September 16.

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is pleased to announce that the 19th Annual World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC) will take place as an in-person event October 12-14 in Houston, TX. This will be the first in-person WAHC since 2019, allowing pool operators, environmental health officials, service technicians, aquatic managers, and other industry professionals to reconnect, network, and learn.

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.

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Dr. R. Neil Lowry Grant. Nominations are due by Friday, August 12.

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance has issued a call for participation on the Standards Consensus Committee (SCC), PHTA’s official consensus voting body. The SCC is responsible for reviewing and voting on all pool, spa, and hot tub standards to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Governor Larry Hogan announced that House Bill 303 will become law in Maryland and greatly advance swimming pool and spa safety and efficiency throughout the state. House Bill 303, sponsored by Delegate Dana Stein (District 11, Baltimore County) and Senator Cory McCray (District 45, Baltimore City), will require Maryland to use the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) as the new minimum standard, effective December 31, 2023, for building swimming pools and spas.

PHTA announces the support of the VGB Pool & Spa Safety Reauthorization Act of 2022, which was introduced in the US. Senate and House of Representatives this week. S. 4296 and H.R. 7787 seek to reauthorize and update 2008 legislation requiring every public pool in the US to install safe drain covers that prevent suction entrapment. The act allocates funding for grants that can be used for swim lessons, enforcing pool and spa safety laws, as well as educating communities about drowning and entrapment dangers.

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) and the International Code Council have collaborated to publish ANSI/PHTA/ICC-15 2021?American National Standard for Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Energy Efficiency which was approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This standard is a revision and redesignation of ANSI/APSP/ICC-15 2011?American National Standard for Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Energy Efficiency and is intended to meet the new requirements of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Dedicated Purpose Pool Pump (DPPP) Rule, which applies to all pumps, regardless of their use or purpose. 

As families converge on aquatic centers, pools, splash pads, waterparks, and open bodies of water for recreational water activities this Memorial Day weekend, it is vital to ensure safety is a priority for all people. The National Water Safety Month campaign supporters offer six important tips and reminders for parents and caregivers about safer water practices.

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is pleased to announce the publication of the ANSI/PHTA/ICC-10 2021 American National Standard for Elevated Pools, Spas and Other Aquatic Venues Integrated into a Building or Structure. PHTA-10 can now be purchased from the PHTA Online Store.