Pool News
California Pool Industry Looking at Another Drought
Pool industry braces as California begins instituting new Water Regulations
Folks in the pool industry still remember the bleak days of 2015 when there were mandatory water restrictions in place across California. Six years ago the governor hoped to reduce water consumption by 25% by targeting the pool industry. Leaders were able to unify and fight back to change the misconception that pools are water wasters.
The perception amid many homeowners that were facing all these crazy new water restrictions at the time was that inground swimming pools were wasteful uses of water. An alarming number of homeowners had taken to filling in their swimming pools as a result and new pool construction had slowed to a crawl in California.
Although swimming pool construction has seen a tremendous resurgence with the Covid-19 pandemic, analysts fear that the bubble for pool construction is about to pop. Rising costs for construction materials, shortages of labor and ongoing price increases from the leading pool manufacturers have cut into the gains the swimming pool industry has made with consumers over the last 2 years. Issues like the ongoing drought in California aren’t helping matters.
California’s Drought & The Pool Industry
It’s not on the national radar yet, but California is facing a serious drought and there are growing concerns that it could adversely impact the pool industry yet again. Although Californians are not yet facing the mandatory restrictions they were in 2015, residents now find themselves confronted with a patchwork of new regulations.
Towns reliant on the hard-hit Russian River have imposed strict mandates in preparation for an impending crisis which they feel is coming. There is growing concern that many coastal areas may have to truck in water simply to get through the year. Simultaneously, most cities in California are preparing to weather the summer with only voluntary cuts and limited limitations, many of which are carryovers from prior droughts.
“We have a patchwork in part because (water) is managed locally,” said Felicia Marcus, who was responsible for leading the state of California’s response to the 2012-2016 drought under former Gov. Jerry Brown.
“The situation is dire in some places, and those places are making calls for higher levels of conservation,” Marcus said. “In other places, they may be prepared, or they may be dreaming.”
Tracy, CA has traditionally been a good barometer on whether or not a drought may impact the pool industry. Residents in Tracy, CA were just told they will only be allowed to water their lawns on select days after the city council voted unanimously to impose more restrictions. There are 5 stages of water restrictions they impose, right now they are in the 3rd. The 4th level has restrictions on washing cars, while the 5th level restricts residents from refilling their pools without a separation tank and recovery system.
How bad is the drought right now in California?
This year, California regulators announced that they would deliver only 5% of the State Water Project’s supplies because of extreme drought conditions. This year’s drought is the most dire situation Mendocino County has faced in decades. At the end of May, Lake Mendocino hit a record low of just 40% capacity. Earlier this month, the county faced projections that the reservoir could be dry by the end of the year.
“The aggressiveness and the severity of this drought, the way the drought is increasing is much greater than the previous drought,” Aaron Baker, chief operating officer at Valley Water, said. “Conditions will be far worse in 2022 if drought conditions continue and no action is taken.”
The Real World Concerns of Extreme Drought
This extreme drought in California has been quickly drying up reservoirs and putting a tremendous strain on electrical grids. This mega drought has depleted the states 1,500 reservoirs statewide by over 50%. This Friday, over 85% of the state was classified as officially being in an extreme drought according to National Integrated Drought Information System. The problem is so severe that a recent warning said that the drought may kill nearly all juvenile salmon in the Sacramento river this year. Given the short 3 year life cycle of salmon, a one year wipe out could greatly increase the chances of extinction for the species.
While Governor Newsome has not yet instituted the 25% mandatory restrictions of 2015, in executive order signed on Thursday he encouraged all Californians to reduce water use by 15% as 50 of the state’s 58 counties are now a drought-related state of emergency.
The PHTA Leads The Charge in Fighting Fake Drought News
One of the biggest challenges the pool industry faced back in 2015 was getting solidarity to fight negative publicity and connotations that inground pools were the equivalent of wasting water. The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance in coordination with the California Pool & Spa Association have gone to great measures in recent years releasing information that specifically addresses the myths and misinformation associated with inground pool water usage.
- 85% of California’s water supplies are dedicated to agricultural use, 10% is dedicated to personal usage, and the remaining 5% for industrial and commercial purposes. If agricultural conservation measures were instituted to cut use by 5%, the amount available for domestic & commercial usage would increase by 1/3.
- In a community where 800 new pools are built annually at an average cost of $20,000 each, about 33 percent of that $16 million (which comes to more than $5 million) represents wages of approximately 450 workers that contribute to the local economy.
Restricting Water Usage for Pools Is Not a Logical Answer To a Drought
In a state hard hit by Covid-19 restrictions and eager to get back to work, now is conceivably the worst possible time for California to begin instituting water restrictions on swimming pools. The pool industry accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the state of California. During the recent pandemic the industry went to great lengths to remain operational in order to support the communities which it serves. It’s important to remember that in times of drought, that pools aren’t just a luxury, they are the lifeblood for many California residents and business owners.
Let’s Look At The Numbers
California may be unprepared for a drought but it’s important to realize that instituting water conversation can hurt the pool industry and impact public perception like it did 6 years ago.
The amount of revenue an inground pool generates in terms of water usage versus what agricultural usage can produce for the same amount of water simply isn’t an apples to apples discussion and never will be unless California farmers start growing diamonds.
A study conducted by the City of Sacramento concluded that lawn irrigation use equals 49 inches per year and that swimming pool requirements are 39.6 inches per year, less walkway and decking areas equal to the actual pool area, which reduces total pool water use to 20 inches per year.
Obviously, regulating or prohibiting pool construction or the filling of swimming pools would have large-scale ramifications on the pool industry. Instituting restrictions will undoubtedly effect the taxes paid by these businesses and wage earners. Water restrictions impacting pools would also impact the amount of money consumers spend in the local economy. In this humble Editors opinion, there are more obvious places to conserve water than looking at soft targets like the pool industry which actually stimulate the economy and employ a good percentage of Californians.
Landmark Aquatic is pleased to announce it has promoted Britton Nielsen to General Manager of its Utah market and Tim Garner to Vice President of Construction and Renovation Operations.
As General Manager, Nielsen will lead sales and operations across Utah, with a focus on customer experience, building a strong local team and expanding Landmark’s role as a trusted partner to facility owners and operators.
Nielsen has worked in commercial aquatics since 2014. He started as an estimator and has spent the past decade as a construction project manager, leading projects from early planning through final delivery. He holds a degree in Construction Management from Brigham Young University and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Utah.
“I’ve spent my career on the project side, so I know what facility owners need from a partner: clear communication, realistic schedules and a team that’s still there after the pool opens,” said Nielsen. “My goal is to build that kind of team here in Utah and make Landmark the first call for anyone who owns or operates an aquatic facility in the state.”
Joining Britton is Tim Garner, who has been promoted to Vice President of Construction and Renovation. With more than 25 years of experience in commercial aquatics construction and renovation, Tim has demonstrated strong leadership in building and guiding teams while delivering high-quality commercial aquatic construction and renovation projects. Tim most recently served as General Manager of Landmark’s Salt Lake City branch. Before that, he was President of CEM Aquatics until Landmark acquired it earlier this year. A Salt Lake City native, Tim holds an MBA from the University of Utah.
“Bringing CEM into Landmark this year has been a great experience, and I’ve had the opportunity to learn from talented teams across the organization,” said Garner. “In this role, I’m looking forward to building on the strengths of each branch, sharing best practices, and helping our teams deliver consistent quality and accountability for every customer.”
These promotions come as demand for new construction and renovation of commercial aquatic facilities continues to grow across Utah, and they position Landmark to serve owners and operators throughout the region with experienced local leadership.
About Landmark Aquatic
Since 1967, Landmark Aquatic has helped communities and organizations bring complex aquatic facilities to life and keep them performing. Today, we are the nation’s largest integrated commercial aquatics platform, providing design, construction, renovation, restoration, and maintenance services nationwide. Our construction-led expertise and long-term service capabilities give customers one trusted partner across every stage of a facility’s lifecycle. For the life of your pool. Learn more at www.landmarkaquatic.com.
Leading pool franchise introduces a digital experience designed to support early-stage inspiration and connect homeowners with local pool professionals
MACON, GA (October 13, 2026) – America’s Swimming Pool Co. (ASP), the nation’s leading swimming pool service franchise, today announced the launch of its Pool Design Tool, an interactive digital experience exclusively designed for ASP to better engage homeowners earlier on in their pool installation planning journeys. It is intended to support early-stage inspiration and planning by helping homeowners explore design possibilities and connect with their local ASP franchise location, rather than serving as a final design or estimating platform.
Since launching in late February, the Pool Design Tool has successfully helped drive engagement and generate qualified leads across ASP’s franchise network. Important data points include:
- 322 homeowners across 81 franchise markets have entered a ZIP code inside the tool, resulting in dozens of quote requests.
- 73% of visitors are inside existing ASP service markets, showing alignment between homeowner interest and ASP’s ability to service them.
- The tool has generated quote requests across 19 existing territories nationwide, demonstrating broad interest across the franchise network.
“Many homeowners don’t know where to begin when it comes to pool design and installation, and that’s why America’s Swimming Pool Co. wants to step in and help,” said Jimmie Meece, brand president of America’s Swimming Pool Co. (ASP). “As we head into prime pool construction season, more homeowners are spending time researching major backyard projects before speaking with contractors. We want our Pool Design Tool to be the first step in that journey – giving homeowners an interactive way to explore options while setting the stage for more productive conversations with our local pool experts who can bring those ideas to life.”
Now live on ASP’s website, Pool Design Tool allows homeowners to visualize and design a customizable in-ground pool using detailed 3D renderings before requesting a consultation. Homeowners can experiment with various pool shapes, sizes, finishes, decking styles and popular water features, from spas to infinity edges, to see how different combinations might look. By interacting with these design options, homeowners can gain a clearer understanding of the types of decisions involved in building a pool and are better prepared for the initial consultation.
After completing a design, homeowners are prompted to enter their ZIP code and are instantly connected with their local ASP franchise location to set up a consultation to review the plan and discuss next steps. For consumers, ASP expects the tool to streamline planning, reduce redesign timelines and help homeowners move from inspiration to installation faster. For ASP franchise owners offering pool construction services, Pool Design Tool helps create stronger and more productive customer conversations from the start. Key features include higher-quality leads, earlier customer engagement, improved lead routing and a more efficient sales process, as homeowners arrive at consultations with design ideas already in mind.
Alongside Pool Design Tool, ASP is expanding its digital resources to further support homeowners throughout the pool planning process. These enhancements include new pool installation service pages across local franchise websites, localized construction content highlighting the experience of individual franchise owners, and additional educational resources to help homeowners understand pool design considerations, installation timelines and project requirements. Together with the Pool Design Tool, these upgrades have helped increase online visibility, connect homeowners with local pool professionals earlier in the planning process, and generate more qualified leads across ASP’s markets. As a result, the franchise has nearly doubled its keyword rankings related to pool installation and remodeling over the past year.
Since its inception in 2002, ASP has continued to set a higher standard of performance and stability within the industry, cementing itself as a leading swimming pool service brand with the trust of pool owners nationwide. The company is known for its affordable, reliable and knowledgeable service – including maintenance, inspections, repairs, renovations and construction. For more information or to schedule a service, visit asppoolco.com.
About ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Co.
ASP is the largest swimming pool cleaning, repair, renovation and construction franchise in the nation. Founded in 2002 by Stewart C. Vernon, the company is based on the belief that by providing a higher quality pool service at a reasonable price, the brand would raise the industry standards for pool service. In 2005, ASP began franchising and now covers more than 1,500 cities in 25 states across the nation. For more information on ASP’s swimming pool franchise opportunities, click here. For more information on ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Co., visit the website or find us on Facebook @asppoolco.
About Authority Brands
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands’ companies include 15 leading home service franchise brands: ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Co., Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, DoodyCalls, DRYmedic Restoration Services, Homewatch CareGivers, The Junkluggers, Lawn Squad, Mister Sparky Electric, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Screenmobile, STOP Restoration, and Woofie’s. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 2,700 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology and operational support. See authoritybrands.com for more information.
(HOUSTON, TEXAS, October 19, 2026) – Modern Method Gunite (MMG) proudly announces its participation in Breast Cancer Awareness Month by going “Pink” this October.
“MMG has been an active proponent of the fight against breast cancer for more than 10 years,” said Al Escobar, MMG Director of Marketing and Growth. “We wanted to do something impactful in the field to continue spreading awareness, so each year we design specific apparel that team members can purchase and support the program.”
This year’s specialized apparel features slate grey hats and shirts with a pink MMG logo and #StrongerTogether on various shirts. The pink logo symbolizes MMG’s commitment to supporting the fight against breast cancer.
To expand awareness, MMG’s social media platforms will feature photos of team members and builder participation highlighting the apparel and program exposure. MMG has committed to a $2,000 donation to UT MD Anderson Cancer Center to support its cancer research programs.
About MMG
With over 40 years of experience, MMG is a family-owned and operated company known for its exceptional service and innovative solutions. Based in Southwest Texas, MMG’s dedication to quality and customer satisfaction has established its reputation as a can-do leader in the industry.
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