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Updated October 15, 2004
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| Pool & Spa News welcomes news tips from our readers. Send news items, with company and contact information included, to Joshua Keim at jkeim@hanleywood.com or fax to 323-801-4986. |
Pools of Fun Awards Scholarships
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 To reward customer and employee loyalty, Pools of Fun offers college scholarships to the children of preferred customers and members of its staff. The program awards college-bound students based on community service, extracurricular activities and a short essay about their intended course of study.
For their children to be eligible, customers must have purchased a pool from the company or spent at least $500 in-store that year. Employees need only apply. This year, the Plainfield, Ind., firm bestowed six $1,000 scholarships to successful candidates at awards ceremonies held at each winner’s school.
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Water Garden Lawsuit Update
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The city of Fort Worth, Texas, along with 21 individuals and companies, are being sued by the families of four vacationers who drowned at the Fort Worth Water Gardens, according to Eileen Houston-Stewart, the city’s chief communication officer. The suit names nearly everyone involved in the design, construction, renovation and maintenance of the facilities. It asks for more than $1 million on each of 72 counts. The four drowned June 16 in the park’s Active Pool, after one of the girls fell in and the other three tried to save her.
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UK Study on Legionella in Spas Released
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The United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency released new information suggesting that one-quarter of all spas are at risk for Legionella. If inhaled, the bacteria can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a potentially fatal, pneumonia-like condition. Spas were said to pose a particular risk because “the hot jets produce aerosols that can carry the bacteria to the bather’s lungs.” The study showed that of 108 spas inspected in 88 premises in the UK, 23 were found to contain Legionella. The report cited poor maintenance as a main factor in the bacteria’s presence. But it also suggested that the actual design of the hot tub could contribute where complex or inaccessible piping breeds film and bacteria that cannot be purged.
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Hasbro Recalls Water Toys
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 Hasbro Inc. of Pawtucket, R.I., has issued a recall of 230,000 Super Soaker Monster Rocket water toys. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the cap on the water tank can unexpectedly project off, posing a risk to users and bystanders.
As of press time, Hasbro had received reports of six injuries. Consumers are urged to stop using the water toy and contact Hasbro at (866) 487-4737 to receive a free replacement product of equal value.
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Zodiac Acquires Pool Heaters, Heat Pumps
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 The Zodiac Group announced it acquired the pool-heating division of Turkhot Tech Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of pool-heating solutions, in September. The acquisition included Turkhot Tech’s Turcotte pool heat pumps, which use titanium heat exchangers to maximize the principles of thermodynamics.
Kate Thielscher, president/CEO of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Zodiac, said “The heat pump category has experienced rapid growth the last few years in the United States and Canada.” The company said the addition of the heat pump will help enhance Zodiac’s position in the pool-care segment and broaden its distribution in North America. “Turkhot Tech is proud to become part of the Zodiac family,” said Yvon Turcotte, president of the Montreal firm.
Zodiac will continue to develop related products and work to strengthen Turkhot Tech’s prior efforts to create strategic alliances within the industry. Turkhot Tech has manufactured pool-heating solutions since 1986 and holds several patents in heater technology. Zodiac is the parent of Zodiac Pool Care Inc. and a leading pool and spa industry supplier, marketing technologies such as Baracuda automatic pool cleaners and Clearwater saltwater chlorinators.
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© 2004, Pool & Spa News
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