Combining education and experience to address combined chlorine
NSPF training and materials reinforce experience and education as vehicles for the industry to use in solving the problem of organic chloramines. In fact, Certified Pool & Spa Operator® (CPO®) Certification equips pool operators with knowledge to address the issue. The Advanced Service Technician™ training enables service technicians to identify and treat water for chloramines, as well. Both certification programs will be offered at the upcoming Canadian Pool & Spa Conference & Expo, held in Niagara Falls, Ont., in December.
Education and experience have limits when applied in isolation; the combination of the two can advance industry practices. Experience has taught that poor water and air quality are not explained by common beliefs in the industry. Education, based on good science, has taught that new approaches must be taken to address the issue. The better the industry understands combined chlorine, the more likely solutions will be created for water quality.
Tom Lachocki is the CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) in Colorado Springs, Colo. He earned his Ph.D., in chemistry from Louisiana State University and his bachelor of science from Lock Haven University. He has held positions in research and business development in recreational-water treatment, surfactants, lubricants, catalysts, and solvents prior to joining NSPF in 2003. Lachocki, an inventor on eight patents, has held leadership positions in various trade association committees and boards of directors. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.lachocki@nspf.org.
Rose M. Lyda has been a swimmer her whole life, for health and recreation, and as a swim instructor and lifeguard she has developed a great appreciation for aquatic safety. An elementary teacher by education, she has taught in Oregon, Oklahoma, and Moscow, Russia. Having recently completed her masters in public administration, Lyda is engaged civically in the local Colorado Springs community in the non-profit, private, and public sectors. She can be reached via e-mail at rose.lyda@nspf.org.
