88-89 WORLD NEWS:SPN Master pages 19/11/08 10:08 Page 3
$8m settlement
NEWS IN BRIEF
follows suction death
Dates for Barcelona
in 2009
Europe’s biggest trade show of
A golf club has reached an $8m settlement with the family of a 2009 will be held in Barcelona
6-year-old girl who was fatally injured by the suction of a next October. The dates for the
swimming pool drain. Piscine 2009 event at the Fira
Abigail Taylor died in March at Nebraska Medical Center in
Ireland on target
Exhibition centre from 20 to 23
Omaha in the United States where she had undergone triple organ
to complete 57
October. In 2007, the event
transplant surgery. She was injured last summer when she sat on attracted 525 exhibitors,
the drain of a wading pool at the Minneapolis Golf Club, and the new pools representing 827 companies from
drain’s powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract. Ireland is to complete its 37 countries. It’s a show which
The settlement exceeded the $6m limit on the club’s objective to build 57 new local always attracts overseas visitors.
insurance, so the members had to vote to get a $2m bank loan authority swimming pools. In the 2007 attendance of 22,000
to pay the difference. Minister for Sport Martin visitors, 33% were foreign.
“I’m very pleased,” said Club president Herb Houndt. “We’d like Cullen said he hoped Ireland See www.salonpiscina.com
to bring closure to this for both the club and Taylor family.” would achieve the international
After Abigail died, her family was instrumental in persuading average of one pool per 28,000
Congress and the Minnesota Legislature to pass safety laws that people, but acknowledged that Algarve pool safety
require entrapment-proof drain covers for new public pools. “given current budgetary tightened
Members of the Taylor family and their attorney did not respond constraints, it is not intended to New regulations have been rushed
to requests to comment on the settlement. launch a new round at this time”. through to make swimming pools
Labour sports spokeswoman in the Algarve safer.
Dr Mary Upton said Mr Cullen Local residents association
would “want to get building”. It President, Macário Correia, said
60% DROP IN NEW POOLS US COMMUNITIES TOLD was the Government’s objective that the most important thing is
IN SOME US STATES TO INVEST IN POOL to reach one pool per 50,000 by for swimming pools in future to
States through America have COVERS – OR ELSE! 2011, but “at present Ireland have some form of fencing, at
started to report that the Communities throughout the has one pool per 58,000” while least 1.10 metres in height, as
decline in new pools during the US have been given a strong in the north it was one for every well as other security features
recent economic problems are message on saving costs – or 32,000 people and one for such as censors and nets, with
worse than at first thought. having to close their local 15,000 in Scotland, she said. each local area being
Recent data shows that new swimming pools. The Minister told the Dáil that responsible for which regulations
residential in-ground pool permits Over 200 local community since the programme was they will enforce.
in the city of Phoenix, Arizona for pools were said to have closed introduced in 2000, 37 pools The laws were changed
June, July and August are down last year because of inability to had been completed and following the drowning of 12
over 60% from 2007 levels. control energy costs. Now a opened, eight more were under children in pools this year, five of
The most recent information Government funded campaign construction and a further 12 which were in the Algarve.
indicates growth only in a is telling pool managers some “are at various stages of
handful of US markets like San simple truths – “cut costs or lose development”.
Diego, CA and Austin, TX. your pools. Funding for the 12 pools would Olympic swimmers
The Association of Pool and “The use of pool covers be allocated “in due course”. He help out with APSP
Spa Professionals market overnight when the pool is not said that “noteworthy progress message on safety
research partner, P.K. Data in in use can be one of the single has been made in the context of The US trade organisation
Atlanta, Georgia, continues to most cost-effective measure(s) the current programme and our Association of Pool and Spa
maintain a vast library of that can be taken at a public priority now is to work with the Professionals has collaborated
industry information, but swimming pool,” the campaign relevant local authorities in with the World Waterpark
reports that for 2008 the trends stresses. bringing the remaining 20 pools in Association on the creation of 10
are bleaker than they imagined. It estimated staff time of two the current round, into public use”. new public service
“We are only starting to get a hours per day necessary to put a Dr Upton said, however, that announcements featuring former
picture of summer new builds cover on and off for heat the swimming pool programme Olympic swimmers Mark Spitz
state by state. I think some areas savings of $12,460 per year. was crucial to many and Janet Evans.
had been hit by a 40% drop but “The real problem is the energy communities, but there was no Included in six video and four
clearly some are much worse required to filtrate and to heat. timeframe for the 20 pools. “For audio recordings are messages
than that,” said a spokesman. Those expenses are soaring.” example, the swimming pool in about following rules, learning to
Crumlin was built in 1970 and swim, the importance of adult
badly requires an upgrade.” supervision, and layers of
She said swimming was protection.
WAHC conference scores a success “one of the best forms of Bill Weber, President of APSP,
The 2008 World Aquatic Health Conference last month has been exercise” and it would be a has been invited to introduce the
hailed as the most successful ever. shame if the programme was collaborative effort between APSP
The conference, organised by the National Swimming Pool limited in any way. and WWA at the World Waterpark
Federation in Colorado brought together world experts in a range The Minister agreed that Association Annual Symposium
of subjects relating to the worldwide pool and spa trade. there were major benefits from and Trade Show in Las Vegas.
A total of 45 seminars were held at a conference which is now swimming. When editing is complete, the
accepted as a leading annual platform for a whole range of subjects While he was not in a position Olympic swimmer’s messages will
from technical to administrative. to start a new round of pool be available for members to use
Every seminar from 2008 is now available to purchase. building, “the resources are in in their businesses and with local
For more information visit www.nspf.org place to allow the completion of TV and radio stations.
projects under the current round”.
Visit our website at www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk DECEMBER 08 swimming pool news 89
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