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Show Notes

This week, Steve and Wayne tackle two timely topics affecting the swimming pool industry.

First, Steve discusses a growing number of calls from homeowners who find themselves trapped in construction projects with missed deadlines, questionable workmanship, and uncertainty about what to do next. The conversation explores the challenges of residential pool inspections, the gray areas of building codes, and why hiring an independent expert isn't always as straightforward as it sounds.

The second half of the episode takes a deep dive into the newly released Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) Cold Water Venue Guidance. With cold plunges becoming increasingly popular in homes, gyms, spas, and athletic facilities, Steve and Wayne explain why industry guidance is needed, how it is developed, and what pool professionals should understand about water quality, sanitation, filtration, and safety.

In This Episode

• Why homeowners are increasingly seeking independent pool inspections during construction.
• The challenges of enforcing residential pool codes compared to commercial pools.
• What homeowners should expect before pursuing construction disputes.
• Understanding the role—and limitations—of expert inspections.
• The new Model Aquatic Health Code Cold Water Venue Guidance explained.
• How MAHC guidance is developed through industry collaboration and scientific review.
• Why "guidance" is different from law or regulation.
• Safety recommendations for cold plunge users, including age and health considerations.
• Why colder water changes the speed of chemical reactions.
• Challenges of maintaining proper sanitizer levels in very small cold-water vessels.
• Why many professional athletic organizations simply dump and refill cold plunge water rather than attempting to filter it.
• Lessons learned from servicing cold plunge systems used by professional sports teams.
• The importance of proper maintenance as cold plunges become more common in homes.
• The growing need for practical standards as cold-water therapy enters the mainstream.

Key Takeaways

• Residential pool inspections often involve significant gray areas compared to commercial construction.
• Expert opinions can identify deficiencies, but correcting them may still require negotiation or litigation.
• Cold plunges present unique operational challenges because of their small water volume and low temperatures.
• Lower water temperatures slow chemical reactions, making sanitation more complicated than many people realize.
• Proper water management is just as important in a cold plunge as it is in a swimming pool.
• As cold-water therapy grows in popularity, industry guidance will play an increasingly important role in protecting public health.

Featured Discussion

The MAHC's New Cold Water Guidance

Steve and Wayne explain why the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code developed guidance for cold plunge facilities, how recommendations are reviewed by subject-matter experts, and why science—not social media trends—should drive industry best practices.

Behind the Scenes with Professional Sports

Drawing from firsthand experience servicing facilities for NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLS organizations, Steve shares how professional teams maintain therapy pools, cold plunges, and rehabilitation equipment—and why sanitation protocols are often much more aggressive than many people expect.

Sponsored By

A special thank you to the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) for supporting this episode and their continued work advancing science-based aquatic health guidance.

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