I read a story this week that made me angry.

Not surprised. Angry.

A six-year-old girl named Ashlyn can swim across the pool and back. Her mother, Ashley, never learned. Ashley grew up in Buffalo with city pools that were only open in the summer. No year-round instruction. No real access. Now she watches her daughter swim and jokes that Ashlyn will have to save her if they’re ever in trouble in the water.

That’s not a heartwarming story. That’s a generational failure dressed up as progress.

Buffalo has one indoor public pool open year-round. One. In a city of nearly 280,000 people on the shores of Lake Erie and the Niagara River. The city has lost half its pools in the last decade. Two are permanently closed. Two more shut for repairs. The outdoor pools that remain will only open this summer if they can find enough lifeguards, which gets harder every year because the pipeline that produces lifeguards starts at the pools they keep closing.

Mike Switalski of the City Swim Project has been teaching kids to swim for free or at subsidized cost since 2012, reaching up to 500 children a year. He said it as plainly as anyone could. Close pools. Fewer swimmers. Fewer people have the skills to become lifeguards. Fewer lifeguards means fewer pools can open. Repeat.

This is what an aquatic desert looks like.

An aquatic desert is not always a place with no pools. Sometimes it is a place with pools that nobody uses. A city that built infrastructure and then walked away from it. A community where the pools exist on paper but the programming — the swim lessons, the lifeguard training, the learn-to-swim access — has been quietly eliminated through years of budget cuts and deferred decisions. Infrastructure without programming is not aquatic access. It is the appearance of access. And communities that mistake one for the other produce the same drowning statistics as communities with no pools at all.

Buffalo is not alone. Pittsburgh has lost roughly half its public pools over the past few decades. Cincinnati dropped from 44 facilities to 24. This pattern is playing out in city after city across the country — and the communities paying the highest price are almost always the ones that were underserved to begin with.

This is where equity in aquatics becomes more than a phrase.

Equity in aquatics is not an abstract value. It is a measurable outcome — who has access to drowning prevention education, who receives swim instruction, who drowns, and who gets left behind. Buffalo has a large Black population. Black children drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than white children. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one through four in the United States. More than 4,500 Americans drowned each year between 2020 and 2022 — 500 more annually than before the pandemic. These are not unrelated statistics. They are connected directly to decisions communities make about their aquatic facilities.

When a city closes a pool in an underserved neighborhood, it is making an equity decision whether it recognizes it as one or not. When a community fails to fund learn-to-swim programming for children who cannot afford private lessons, it is making an equity decision. When a generation grows up without drowning prevention education because the facilities were never there or were quietly taken away, that is an equity failure with consequences measured in lives.

Ashley Kelley still cannot swim. Her daughter Ashlyn can. That is progress. But it is fragile progress that depends entirely on one pool staying open, one program staying funded, one city finding enough political will to keep the doors unlocked.

This is why I am working with Mark Rauterkus on The Community Aquatics Directive — a framework for civic leaders and aquatic professionals that makes the case for treating pools as public health infrastructure rather than seasonal amenities. Not because the solutions are complicated. They are not. The funding exists. New York State has committed more than $200 million through its NY SWIMS Initiative for exactly this kind of situation. Federal grants, philanthropic funding, and community partnerships are all available to communities willing to make the case.

What is missing is urgency and political will. Decision makers who understand that closing a pool is not a budget decision — it is a public health decision with consequences that play out across generations.

Ashlyn wants to be a lifeguard when she grows up. I hope she gets that chance. I hope the pool is still open when she turns sixteen. I hope the city finds the lifeguards it needs to open the outdoor pools this summer. And I hope the people making those budget decisions read stories like this one and understand what they are actually deciding.

Read the full WKBW report here: https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/buffalo/a-dangerous-cycle-buffalos-shrinking-pool-system-leaves-few-options-for-city-residents

If this resonates with you, I’d love to connect. Find me on LinkedIn where I write about aquatics, community pools, and what it takes to make equity in aquatics a reality — not just a talking point. www.linkedin.com/in/ronusher

Featured Photo by Blogging Guide on Unsplash

If you ask most pool pros how they see themselves, the answer is pretty consistent.

We’re rugged.
We’re sun-kissed.
We’ve got forearms like rebar and a tan that says “I work outside for a living.”

In our own mental highlight reel, we’re stepping off a photoshoot. Truck door shuts. Sunglasses on. Water sparkling behind us. A light breeze catches the brim of the hat. The pool is perfect because we made it that way.

We’re craftsmen.
We’re troubleshooters.
We’re the superheroes of summer.

That’s how we see ourselves.

Now let’s talk about how customers see us.

Because depending on the day — and the invoice — we’re not always the hero in the slow-motion montage.

Sometimes we’re something else entirely.

“Can You Do It for Half?”

The Customer That Thinks You’re a Clown

You hand them an estimate.

They tilt their head.

“Can you do it for half?”

In that moment, something shifts. Suddenly you’re not a professional with insurance, fuel costs, payroll, chemical increases, equipment overhead, licensing, and taxes.

You’re Bozo.

They see you juggling test kits and chlorine tabs, honking a horn, performing tricks for their amusement.

“Come on, it’ll only take you a few minutes.”
“It’s just brushing and checking chemicals.”
“My cousin said it shouldn’t cost that much.”

In their mind, your time is elastic. Your experience is optional. Your overhead is imaginary.

What they see: A guy who can cut his price in half if he just “wants the work bad enough.”
What you see: The math doesn’t change just because someone asks nicely.

The clown persona is born when price becomes entertainment. And suddenly you’re expected to juggle.

“You’re Way Overpriced.”

The Customer Who Thinks You’re Robbing Them

This one is sure of it.

They don’t just think you’re expensive.

They think you’re stealing from them.

You present your proposal. They lean back. Arms crossed.

“I had a guy who did it for way less.”

Sure you did.

In their imagination, you’re standing there in a ski mask with a bag full of hundred-dollar bills. Every invoice is a heist. Every service call is a getaway.

They don’t see the truck payment.
They don’t see the two hours in traffic.
They don’t see the diagnostic time before you ever touched a tool.

They see a number — and they see themselves losing.

The irony? Most pool pros price to survive, not to rob. Margins are tighter than most homeowners realize. Fuel, chemicals, parts, software, payroll, insurance — it all adds up.

But perception is powerful.

When someone thinks you’re overpriced, you’re no longer a technician.

You’re a thief in broad daylight.

“I Can Pay You Next Month.”

This Customer Thinks You’re a Multi-Millionaire Running a Non-Profit

Then there’s the customer who assumes you operate like a bank.

“I can get you next month.”

Translation: Carry me.

In their world, you’re sitting on a pile of cash. Money flows freely. You can float balances indefinitely because, well, you must be rolling in it.

You fix their pump today.
You replace the filter.
You clean up the mess.

And they’ll square up… eventually.

They don’t see payroll hitting Friday morning.
They don’t see supplier invoices due in 15 days.
They don’t see the credit card bill from the parts you fronted.

In their mind, you’re a small business owner — which must mean you’re independently wealthy.

In reality, you’re operating on razor-thin cash flow like most service businesses in America.

You’re not a millionaire floating bills.

You’re a working professional trying to keep everything moving.

“I Need It Done Immediately.”

This Customer Thinks You’re Some Sort of a Magician

This one’s my favorite.

They call at 4:30 PM on a Friday.

“We’re having a party tomorrow.”

And suddenly, you’re not a pool pro. You’re Harry Potter.

You’re expected to wave a wand and reverse three weeks of neglect in 12 hours.

Green water?
Broken heater?
Dead pump?
Cracked valve?

No problem. Surely you can just make it happen. In their head, you’ve been waiting by the phone for this very moment. No other customers. No schedule. No route. No other emergencies.

Just you, poised dramatically beside your truck, ready to conjure clarity out of chaos.

They don’t see the 40 other pools on the route.
They don’t see the backlog of parts.
They don’t see that “immediately” is rarely possible without someone else waiting longer.

But urgency has a way of rewriting reality.

And when a party is on the line, you’re not a technician.

You’re a magician.

“Can You Break It Down for Me?”

The Customer Who Wants You To Break Down Every Bill

Then there’s the spreadsheet shopper.

They want every detail itemized.

Every chemical.
Every labor minute.
Every markup.
Every gasket.

Get your dancing shoes on. You’re not just giving an estimate. You’re performing.

They want to compare you to the next five guys who show up in a Google search. They want to line up your numbers like a fantasy football draft and see who’s cheapest.

In that moment, you’re not a pool professional.

You’re a break dancer on cardboard.

“Break it down for me.”

While transparency is good — and professionalism demands clarity — there’s a difference between understanding the work and dissecting it to the penny so it can be shopped.

Some customers see a partner.
Others see a spreadsheet.

The Reality Behind the Personas

Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough.

Most pool pros are just normal people running small businesses. We’ve got mortgages, kids, payroll to meet, trucks that need maintenance, supplier accounts that come due whether we got paid or not, and alarm clocks that go off long before most of our customers are awake. This isn’t a hobby or a side hustle — it’s how we feed our families.

We’re not clowns looking to perform at half price, and we’re not thieves twisting our moustaches, plotting ways to rip off the customer. We’re not sitting on piles of cash, and we’re definitely not magicians who can bend time and reality to accommodate every last-minute request. We’re professionals who learned a trade, invested in equipment, carry insurance, and take on real responsibility every time we touch someone’s backyard.

There’s pride in this work. Clear water doesn’t happen by accident. Equipment doesn’t fix itself. When something breaks, leaks, shorts out, or turns green overnight, someone has to understand the system well enough to diagnose it and make it right. That knowledge comes from experience — and experience has value.

Most of us aren’t trying to squeeze every buck we can out of a customer. We’re not eager to argue over invoices or chase unpaid balances. We don’t enjoy telling someone we can’t reshuffle an entire week because a party was scheduled without notice. What we want is pretty simple: to do great work, to be treated fairly, and to have our expertise respected.

At the end of the day, pool pros and homeowners actually want the same thing — a backyard that works the way it’s supposed to and a relationship that feels honest. When there’s mutual respect, all those exaggerated personas disappear, and what’s left is just a professional providing a service for customers who value it.

The Business Side of Perception Equals Reality

There’s a hard truth in this industry that doesn’t get talked about enough: perception is reality.

If a customer believes your time isn’t valuable, they’ll treat it that way. If they believe your pricing is flexible, they’ll test it. If they believe you “need the work,” they’ll negotiate accordingly.

But where does that perception come from?

A lot of it starts with the pool pro.

How you present an estimate matters. How you explain scope matters. Whether you pause and wait after stating your price — or immediately start justifying it — matters. Customers read hesitation. They read uncertainty. And they respond to it.

This isn’t about ego. It’s about positioning.

If you treat your service like a commodity, it will be compared like one. If you present it as skilled, insured, accountable professional work — with systems, standards, and policies behind it — it gets treated differently.

Self-worth in business isn’t emotional. It shows up in structure.

Do you have clear payment terms?
Do you enforce them?
Do you charge diagnostic time consistently?
Do you walk away when a job doesn’t make sense?

Those decisions communicate value far more than any speech about “experience” ever will.

When you value your time, you schedule it intentionally.
When you value your expertise, you charge for it.
When you value your service, you stop racing to the bottom.

Customers take cues from how you operate. If you discount quickly, they learn to wait for it. If you bend policies often, they expect exceptions. If you over-explain your pricing defensively, they sense it’s negotiable.

On the flip side, when you’re clear and steady — “Here’s the scope. Here’s the price. Here’s how we handle payment.” — most reasonable customers adjust to that framework.

The industry sometimes conditions pool pros to feel lucky just to have the work. But this is skilled labor. It requires technical knowledge, physical effort, liability, and responsibility. The backyard may be leisure for the homeowner, but it’s infrastructure when it breaks.

If you don’t believe your work has real value, it’s hard to expect customers to believe it either.

Perception is reality in service businesses. The way you see your own operation — serious business or side hustle, professional service or “just pool work” — shapes how others respond to you.

And over time, the customers you attract will mirror that perception.

There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing a dull, stained pool surface turn bright and clean again after a good acid wash. It’s like hitting the reset button on a pool that’s seen better days. But as any seasoned pool pro knows, this powerful process comes with some serious risks. 

Acid washing uses muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid)—a chemical strong enough to dissolve mineral buildup, algae, and stains. That same strength, though, can cause burns, lung damage, and serious injuries if not handled the right way. Knowing how to stay safe isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential for protecting yourself, your crew, and your customers. 

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Why You Can’t Cut Corners on Safety 

Muriatic acid is no joke. A splash on your skin or a breath of concentrated fumes can do real harm in seconds. It can also eat away at pool finishes and metal fixtures if it’s not used properly. The goal is to make the pool look better—not cause damage or danger along the way. 

When you follow safety protocols, you’re not just checking boxes—you’re building a reputation for professionalism and responsibility that customers notice. 

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Safety Basics Every Pool Pro Should Practice 

1. Paperwork Isn’t Just Paperwork 

Before you start mixing anything, make sure your Hazard Communication Program is up to date. Have Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for every chemical you use, and double-check that all containers are clearly labeled. This may seem tedious, but if something goes wrong, this documentation can be a lifesaver—literally and legally. 

2. Dress Like You Mean It 

When you’re handling acid, jeans and sunglasses aren’t enough. You’ll need: 

● Acid-resistant gloves (rubber or neoprene)
● Chemical splash goggles and a face shield
● Long-sleeved acid-resistant clothing or a Tyvek suit
● Closed-toe, chemical-resistant boots
● A respirator with acid-gas cartridges if ventilation isn’t great

It might not be a fashion statement, but it’s definitely a safety statement. 

3. Let It Breathe

If you’re working in an indoor pool or a deep end, acid fumes can build up fast. Always use fans, open doors and windows, and wear a respirator if needed. OSHA even considers an acid-washing pool a permit-required confined space—so don’t take chances. When in doubt, step out and get fresh air.

4. Mix with Care 

There’s one golden rule every pool pro should memorize: Always add acid to water—never water to acid.  Doing it backwards can cause an instant, violent reaction that splashes acid everywhere. Mix outdoors, use plastic containers, and keep people (and pets) far away while you work. 

5. Be Kind to the Environment 

Once you’ve finished the wash, it’s time to neutralize the leftover acid with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Never let untreated acid flow into a storm drain or onto the lawn. Not only is that harmful, it can also get you in trouble with local environmental agencies. Take a few extra minutes to neutralize properly and practice disposal according to local rules. 

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Two Is Better Than One 

Whenever possible, don’t go it alone. Have another technician on deck while you’re in the pool. That second person can pass tools, monitor fumes, or call for help if something unexpected happens. It’s simple teamwork that makes the job safer for everyone. 

Be Ready for the “What-Ifs” 

Even with the best precautions, accidents can happen. Make sure you have: 

● An eye wash station or portable eyewash bottle within arm’s reach
● A fresh water source nearby for rinsing skin or eyes
● A neutralizing agent like baking soda ready to go
● Up-to-date first-aid training for handling chemical exposure

At Pool Troopers in Tampa, FL, for example, every employee is issued proper safety gear and trained on SDS procedures—an approach all pool companies can learn from. 

The Bottom Line 

Acid washing is one of the most dramatic makeovers you can give a pool—but it’s not something to take lightly. The right preparation, gear, and mindset make all the difference between a successful job and a dangerous one. 

If you’re looking to sharpen your safety skills, check out the OSHA 10 Course for Pool Pros that I offer through Space Coast Pool School. It’s a great way to stay informed, stay compliant, and most importantly—stay safe.