NSPF Funds Research Grants
The National Swimming Pool Foundation recently funded three research grants and three board fellowships totaling more than $175,000.
NSPF extended a grant of $120,000 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its Healthy Swimming program, which provides information about how to reduce outbreaks due to chlorine-resistant pathogens.
• A second research grant of $36,738 was given to Dr. Elizabeth Nagle at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Nagle is performing studies to determine to what extent executing a short swim can predict aerobic fitness.
• A third research grant of $7,088 was issued to Dr. Christine Moe and Dr. Scott Bartell of Emory University. Dr. Moe and Dr. Bartell are reevaluating water chemistry and bacterial content data collected in 1992 from 486 public pools in Pinellas County, Florida. Because this collection of data was never published, Moe and Bartell will submit their findings to a peer-reviewed journal.
The three board fellowships, each totaling $4,000, have been awarded to the following individuals:
• Dr. Alex T. Chow at the University of California, Davis, for research to further understand water quality in facilities where humans and marine mammals interact.
• Luke K. Jacobs, a student at Eastern Kentucky University and a health department pool inspector, for field research to assess how pools managed by trained and certified operators affect pool code compliance.
• Ellen Jones, a student at the University of Arizona, to investigate sources of norovirus and assess its distribution in recreational water facilities, while refining methods to detect these pathogens.
The foundation funds its grants through revenue from its Certified Pool-Spa Operator and Certified Pool Inspector training programs.
Applicants eligible for an NSPF research grant or board fellowship must be post-doctoral researchers or enrolled full-time pursuing advanced academic degrees. For more information, visit nspf.org.
BioLab: Hello ChlorKing, Goodbye Class 3 OxidizersBy 2005, BioLab will eliminate all Class 3 oxidizers from its United States product offerings. The products affected by this change include calcium hypochlorite and dichlor sanitizers and shocks.
Established by the National Fire Protection Agency, oxidizer classification in the (pool) water treatment industry ranges from Class 1 to Class 3. The system ranks products based on their tendency to increase the burning rate of combustible materials: Class 1 oxidizers indicate the potential for a moderate increase in burning rate, while Class 3 signals the potential for a significant increase.
A new line of products that carry a lower oxidizer classification will replace all products classified as Class 3 oxidizers. BioLab says it will begin shipping these new products as soon as they are available and state registrations are completed.
• BioLab Commercial Pool Care, a provider of water treatment products for commercial swimming pools and spas, recently partnered with ChlorKing, a manufacturer of commercial chlorine generators. This partnership allows BioLab to become the exclusive distributor of the ChlorKing line of generators in North America.
"This is a great opportunity for us and the industry as a whole," says David von Broembsen, president of ChlorKing. "This technology is the next evolution for commercial-scale pool and spa maintenance products."
ChlorKing's chlorine generators are available through BioLab's ProGuard Authorized Sales and Service Centers. The generators come in various sizes with chlorine outputs ranging from 2- to 25 pounds per day.
Pool Program Developed
The NSPI Builders Council has created the Advanced Pool Builders Program, a two-day expanded educational conference series that will provide pool builders with progressive education on current and emerging technologies and concepts.
The program, which will debut at the International Pool & Spa Expo, Dec. 1-3, 2005, in Las Vegas, will feature seven in-depth educational seminars, including "Conquering Sales Myths - What You Believe Can Hurt You!", "Why Pools Crack - Discover and Defeat the Causes of Structural Failure," and "The Physics of Water Mysteries In Motion!"
The NSPI Builders Council comprises 14 industry experts and was formed to guide the advancement of business, image and welfare of NSPI members who are building and/or installing pools and spas.
Manual Updated And Expanded
An expanded and updated edition of the Construction Specification Institute's CSI Manual of Practice is now available.
First published in 1967, The CSI Manual of Practice features information on project manual preparation and administration, including project conception and delivery, design, construction documents and facility management.
Now in its 5th edition, this 1,200page hardcover book also includes a guide to bidding, negotiating and purchasing and information on effective transition from construction to facility management.
For more information, call Cathy Markoff at Science & Technical Marketing, McGraw-Hill Professional at 212/904-5449 or e-mail [email protected].
Diving Scholarship Awarded
Melanie Rolish of Cherry Hill, N.J., recently received the Penn-Jersey Chapter of NSPI 2004 Swimming and Diving scholarship.
This scholarship is awarded annually to graduating high school or college students who are active swimmers or divers. Scholarship winners are selected based on their athletic and academic accomplishments and commitments.
Rolish has competed in swimming events since she was 5 years old and holds several records at Cherry Hill West High School and with the Jersey Wahoos and TriCounty Swim League.
She attends Penn State University.
Register For Western Show
Online registration for the 27th Annual Western Pool & Spa Show, March 10-12, 2005, is now available at westernshow.com. An updated floor plan with booth assignments can also be viewed at this Web site. For more information, contact Lionel Marlow at 800/746-9772.
Relocations
• PLH HealthMate Saunas, manufacturer of infrared saunas, recently relocated from City of Industry, Calif., to Buena Park, Calif. For more information, call 714/739-6640.
• DiversiTech Corporation, manufacturer of grill pads, has moved its headquarters to a 14,000-square-foot office in Duluth, Ga. Its manufacturing facility will remain in Texas. For more information, call 866/474-5572.
