Pools and Spas are Not the Water Enemy

VOICES-(Re CityWatch article ‘A Major California Water Waster Left Out of the Conservation Pool’)  The recent “Views From Here” piece regarding swimming pools’ impact on the drought could not have been more incorrect. As president of the California Pool and Spa Association (CPSA), I want to take the time to set the record straight on pools and spas, their water use, and what we as an industry are doing to address the impacts of the ongoing drought. 

Had the author done any research, he would have found that well-maintained pools and spas, and their surrounding decking, use only a fraction of the water a traditional lawn does. In fact, a pool, decking and cover are about as water efficient as drought-resistant landscaping. Water districts, including the Santa Margarita Water District in Orange County, have done the calculations and I encourage any pool or spa owner to see just how much water their investment saves each year. 

The pool and spa industry understands the drastic situation we’re in. We know that every industry is going to have to share the pain and do not believe we should be singled out for knee-jerk ordinances. Since pools and spas use relatively little water once filled, construction or fill bans will not achieve significant water savings. 

What such bans will do, though, is potentially irreparably damage an industry still getting back on its feet after the recession. Pool and spa construction decreased sharply during the recession, as foreclosures, abandoned homes and half-built home sites became the norm in many California communities. It has only been in the last year or so that our industry has begun to recover. 

But it’s not just our industry that would suffer. The California pool and spa industry provides $5 billion in economic activity to this state each year. We provide tens of thousands of well-paying jobs and millions in local and state taxes. To impose a ban on filling or building pools and spas would mean a significant monetary loss and spike in unemployment. 

CPSA has been working hard to educate pool and spa owners about being water wise during the drought. We have created the Let’s Pool Together website and public education campaign and encourage everyone—pool owner or not—to review the water-saving tips it contains.

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If you are a pool owner and do not have a solar cover, invest in one immediately. This is one of the best tools we have to fight the drought. Not only does a solar cover decrease evaporation by 90 percent or more, it also heats the pool in the summer. Checking for leaks is also vital, and lowering your pool or spa’s water level will decrease splash out and minimize your need to add water. We’re also working to make this a “splashless summer” since splashing contributes to water loss.  

CPSA is partnering with the state’s Save Our Water effort and working with local water agencies on regulations that will help conserve water without being detrimental to our industry. We know there’s more we can do to play our part in saving water, and we’re proactively reaching out to make it happen. 

I know that many people see pools and spas as luxury items that aren’t a priority during the drought. But they are also drought-resistant landscapes that are part of an industry that employ tens of thousands of hardworking Californians.  

(John Norwood, President of the California Pool and Spa Association.)

-cw

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 31

Pub: Apr 14, 2015