Manufacturer
Beyond the Backyard: Innovation Powered by People
Smart and sustainable. That’s the continued focus at Pentair Pool, where innovation doesn’t start in a lab or end at a product launch. It starts with people — listening to them, learning from them, and designing solutions that make their lives easier, better, and more connected. That belief is deeply embedded in how we innovate.
For Christine Richardson, Chief Technology Officer at Pentair Pool, innovation is all about building meaningful, intuitive experiences rooted in real-world needs. From connected products to factory-floor execution, her work ensures that Pentair technology delivers value not just through performance, but through trust, ease, and long-term partnership.
“I’m the Chief Technology Officer, so I’m responsible for technology development — everything from innovation to new product development and introduction into the factories, our IoT development, our connected products, and our sustaining engineering teams who support our factories,” Richardson explains.
That scope is broad by design. At Pentair, innovation isn’t a silo… it’s a system.
Rooted in One Customer, Focused on Real Impact
Richardson’s path to Pentair was shaped by a desire to dive deeper. The pool industry was a natural fit for that vision. After working in a central engineering group that supported vastly different industries including “everything from fast food restaurants to nuclear power plants,” she was drawn to Pentair’s opportunity to focus on one ecosystem.
“I was really excited to be able to focus in on one customer,” she says, “and to be a real partner to the business from a technology standpoint.”
And, on a much more personal note, Richardson notes that there’s a very human element to her role.
“Everybody says this, but family really is the most important thing,” Richardson says. “Pools offer a way for families to connect and have great memories. I get excited about it because… Well, everybody kind of knows our products without actually knowing us.”
That familiarity brings responsibility, and the Pentair Pool team takes it seriously.
Innovation You Don’t Have to Think About
While pools may seem simple from the outside, Richardson is quick to point out how technologically advanced the industry has become. The challenge isn’t just creating new features. The bigger challenge is making innovation feel effortless.
“It’s all about creating that holistic experience for the end user, where it’s so intuitive that they don’t even have to reflect on how innovative it is,” she says. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with the term poka-yoke, but it’s all about making sure there’s one right way to do it and that it’s easy to do. That’s where innovation stems from, a strong technology roadmap that’s focused on providing the best and easiest experience for the customer.”
That philosophy guides everything from industrial design to user experience. The goal isn’t complexity — it’s clarity. And true innovation, Richardson notes, is measured by how well it’s adopted.
“Innovation is only as good as the market acceptance,” she says. “Which means it’s especially important to make sure we’re working on the right things and really solving customer pain points.”
People-Powered Technology, Built on Trust
Though pools can be attention grabbing and innovative with the right products, the real lifeblood of the industry is the professionals who make the pool experience possible every day. Pentair’s innovation strategy is designed to empower pool pros, giving them the tools and confidence to be heroes for their customers.
“A big piece of that is enabling our customers — the servicers who are in backyards every day — to be able to remote monitor customer pool pads and know exactly what the problem is and what they need on their truck in order to solve it,” Richardson says.
That shift supports a more effortless pool ownership experience, a more streamlined servicing experience, and strengthened trust across the entire ecosystem.
“The servicer has to have the trust in us to make sure that they’re getting the information that they need,” she says. “That comes full circle to being able to have those worry-free pools.”
It’s a people-powered loop: homeowners trust their servicers, servicers trust Pentair, and Pentair designs technology that supports both.
Leading Through Experience and Community
So why should pool pros trust Pentair?
“We’re the leader in the industry,” Richardson says. “We have so much equipment out in the field, and we’re using and leveraging that knowledge to make sure that we have the best products on the market.”
That leadership doesn’t end with products, though. There’s also a major focus on education and support through Pentair Pool University, customer service, and decades of real-world insight.
Much of Pentair’s innovation happens quietly. But its impact is felt every day, in backyards, neighborhoods, and communities around the world.
“It’s so much of the tinkering that you don’t see that makes Pentair special.”
Beyond the Backyard, Into the Future
As Pentair looks ahead, the path forward is clear: innovation grounded in empathy, powered by people, and focused on making life easier for the communities we serve.
Beyond the backyard is where our products live, but beyond expectations is where our innovation thrives.
Fluidra, the global leader in pool and wellness equipment and connected solutions, has announced the acquisition of Datapool, the digital twin platform developed by Ecotropy. With this transaction, the company reinforces its strategic commitment to sustainability, operational efficiency and the digitalization of the sector.
The transaction represents the evolution of a collaboration that began in 2024, when Fluidra invested in Ecotropy through Fluidra Ventures, its Corporate Venture Capital fund focused on startups with the potential to transform the pool and wellness sector through technological innovation.
With this acquisition, Datapool becomes fully integrated into Fluidra’s digital ecosystem for commercial pools, consolidating its role as a key part of the company’s value proposition. The platform incorporates advanced analytics capabilities, IoT solutions and real-time data within an open and scalable architecture, in line with the company’s strategy to offer connected and sustainable solutions that maximize the efficiency of aquatic facilities and accelerate the transition towards smarter management models.
Datapool outfits aquatic facilities with digital twins, enabling pools to be managed using reliable, real-time data and replacing management models based on estimates or manual supervision.
In this way, the platform simulates the optimal operation of each facility and continuously compares it with variables such as energy consumption, occupancy, weather conditions and water quality, providing a comprehensive view that helps anticipate incidents, optimize resources and improve operational performance.
Thanks to this technology, operators can reduce operating costs by 10% to 25% by optimizing water and energy consumption without the need for construction works or invasive interventions; monitor and adjust key parameters such as temperature, water quality and occupancy in real time; automate management through predictive models that adapt climate control and operations to real demand; generate automatic reports with traceable data for audits, tenders or grant applications; and plan investments and improvements based on objective data.
“This acquisition marks a milestone in our digitalization strategy. Datapool allows us to accelerate the transition towards an intelligent pool management model, improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact and offering our customers data-driven tools to make better decisions,” said Thorsten Muck, Commercial Pool Director at Fluidra.
Water Tech Corp, manufacturer of award-winning battery-operated handheld pool and spa cleaners, has released its 2026 product catalog as an interactive online flipbook—available 24/7.
The 20-page catalog is designed as a comprehensive ordering and service reference for pool professionals. It features detailed product descriptions, SKUs, UPC-12 codes, and part numbers alongside full replacement part breakdowns. Logistics and merchandising data—including unit weights, case weights, retail box dimensions, and case and pallet quantities—that are clearly presented to support purchasing decisions at every level.
Large-format product photography makes it easy to identify and specify the right units, service parts, and accessories for retail floor sets, service trucks, or customer repair needs.
To view the 2026 catalog, visit: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/961943389/
City/State: E. Brunswick, NJ
Website: www.watertechcorp.com
Phone: 800-298-8800
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/watertechcorpNJ/
https://www.instagram.com/watertechcorp/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/watertechcorp/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWatertechCorp
About Water Tech Corp:
Water Tech Corp is the manufacturer of the original Pool Blaster handheld battery powered pool cleaner as well as the powerful Volt and Precision battery powered pool cleaners on the market today. Water Tech has been a part of the pool and spa industry now for 20 years after being founded by Guy Erlich in 2001 in an apartment building in New York City. Water Tech has always been focused on patented-technologies and designs that have allowed Water Tech to succeed in the very competitive pool and spa cleaner arena. With 19 different US patents on pool and spa cleaners alone and more to come, Water Tech has been able to use its intellectual property and unique product designs to systematically ensure its success in the marketplace. In fact, between 2005 and the present date, Water Tech has received the “Pool & Spa News & Readers’ Choice Award” for “Best New Product” approximately seven (7) times.
The company now operates out of a large facility in E. Brunswick, NJ with more than 20,000 square foot of space. Water Tech has a reputation for bringing innovative, reliable products to our industry, designed specifically to meet the needs of consumers, service professionals and retailers in the swimming pool and spa market.
Manufacturer
Pentair, Pool Brain Unveil Integrated Pool Service Technology
The planned first-of-its-kind technology integration aims to provide actionable insights to support faster diagnostics, smarter planning, and a better customer experience.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — May 5, 2026 — Pentair Pool, a leader in smart, sustainable
pool solutions, today announced plans to release a technology integration with Pool Brain, a
premier software platform for swimming pool service and repair professionals, to strengthen
Pentair Pool’s connected equipment ecosystem and further advance Pentair’s vision for data-
driven service and automation for pool professionals. This future integration is designed to equip pool professionals with streamlined, all-in-one insights—enabling faster, more informed service for homeowners.
The long-anticipated integration will bring together Pentair Pool’s connected pool equipment, the largest installed based in the U.S., and automation technology from Pool Brain’s service
management platform to deliver critical insights before a technician ever arrives on site. With the technology integration, for the first time, service professionals will be able to gain a
consolidated, data-driven view of pool conditions through an all-in-one software solution—
helping them arrive informed, prepared, and confident.
“This future technology integration is designed to not only provide pool servicers with deeper
insight into our connected equipment but empower them to deliver superior service to pool
owners” said Greg Claffey, Senior Vice President and President, Pentair Pool. “Together with
Pool Brain this integration will provide insights that will help reduce truck rolls and increase
profitability for servicers while, most importantly, ensuring that pool owners are able to enjoy
more pool days with their friends and family.”
The expected release of the Pentair Pool–Pool Brain technology integration is designed to
support pool service teams with goals of:
- Automated visibility into equipment status and pool performance
- Smarter and simplified service planning that helps reduce truck rolls and diagnostic time
- Improved customer experiences through faster resolution, proactive issue prevention,
and informed service calls - Streamlined and focused technology consolidating platforms for more efficient workflows
- Digital access to product information and performance data—making Pentair Pool one of
the first manufacturers to deliver the insights pros need, directly within the platforms they
already use.
The collaboration reflects Pentair Pool’s broader vision to deliver connected, intelligent pool
solutions that help save time, build efficiencies, and grow servicer profitability in every stage of operating, servicing, and growing a pool business.
“Remote data monitoring is the future of the pool service industry and this ground breaking
integration with Pentair Pool marks a major step forward,” said Adam Beech, founder and CEO
of Pool Brain. “Pool Brain was built from day one with this future in mind and we’re thrilled to
now integrate with the most widely deployed connected pool equipment in the market. Service
companies will finally be able to connect the equipment on the pad to the software platform they already use to gain automated data visibility, even when not on property. This data, combined with Pool Brain’s alerts and automations create benefits that simply weren’t possible until now. It’s a huge win for both pool pros and pool owners.
Building on its legacy of industry-leading innovation, Pentair Pool is once again redefining how pools are managed and enjoyed. The expected rollout for the Pentair Pool technology
integration with Pool Brain is late summer 2026. Pool professionals can stay up to date on the
next steps for the Pentair Pool–Pool Brain technology integration by signing up to be the first to know how the game is changing in the pool industry, at Pentair-Pool Brain Integration.
About Pentair Pool
Pentair Pool is a Pentair plc business. At Pentair, we help the world sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, life’s most essential resource. From our residential and commercial water solutions, to industrial water management and everything in between, Pentair is a core large cap value S&P 500 equity stock focused on smart, sustainable water solutions that help our planet and people thrive.
As an industry leader in the pool and spa space, Pentair Pool is driven to help people sustainably enjoy water. Our solutions include industry-leading pumps, automation, lighting, heating, and filtration technologies that help customers enjoy a smarter and more efficient pool. Customer success is central to our vision—bringing family and friends together in the pool and on the deck to build social connections, create lifelong memories, and promote fitness and enjoyment.
For more information, visit pentair.com/pool and follow Pentair Pool on Facebook and Instagram.
About Pool Brain
A modern “all in one” pool software platform built by industry experts to give you more time, more money, and less stress. Key features include fully automated chemical dosing, remote data monitoring, custom alerts, guided workflows, scheduling, route optimization, quotes (estimates), jobs (work orders), automatic billing, self-serve customer portal, products & services management, customer management, multiple bodies of water, equipment tracking, issue reporting, technician controls, built-in customer feedback, mobile app (no signal required), auto-notifications, group emails, reporting and integrations, and more.
For more information, visit poolbrain.com.
Media Contact:
Heather Morris
Pentair Communications
[email protected]
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