Despite heavy rains in Northern California over the weekend, the California Pool and Spa Association (CPSA, formerly SPEC) is moving ahead with its efforts to address the severe drought situation in the state and its possible adverse effects on the swimming pool and spa industry.
This is in response to last month’s announcement by California Governor Jerry Brown’s declaration of a statewide drought emergency, an action that sets the stage for new state and federal efforts to curb water usage.
CPSA has established a Drought Crisis Task Force consisting of representatives from the California pool & spa industry, the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP), the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA) and the Foundation for Pool & Spa Industry Education (FPSIE). A draft outreach plan for the public and governmental officials has been designed and efforts are underway to collect useful data on the use of water by pools and spas and the industry’s economic contribution to the state in terms of jobs, taxes, and license fees. This information will be used as part of a public relations and lobbying effort aimed at trying to push back against any unwarranted restrictions on the use of water for swimming pools and spas imposed by building officials, water districts and local public entities.
The Drought Task Force has established weekly meetings to discuss emerging issues and help move the agenda forward. CPSA has also solicited proposals from a variety of public relations firms to assist with this effort and has established a Special Drought Crisis Fund in order to pay for the added cost for this type of professional assistance.
Initial donations to this fund include the Independent Pool & Spa Service Association (IPSSA) with a $15,000 contribution, which was later matched by Premier Pools and Spas of Sacramento. Paul Porter, co-founder of Premier Pools and Spas, contributed an additional $3,000. Swim Chem of Sacramento also donated $3,000 while Courage Pools and Aquatrends Pools provided an extra $500 each.
For more information on this effort, go to thecpsa.org.
