Workin' for the weekend: everyone wants weekends off. But that may be the biggest obstacle to overcoming RWIs.(weekend maintainance of aquatic facilities)

Like many leisure pursuits, most aquatics activities take place outside of banker's hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Yet just when their facility's attendance is peaking, many operators give time off to themselves and their most experienced staffers. In an age when facilities are increasingly battling recreational water illnesses, this practice is not only bad for public health, but also business as a whole.

Already, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta have noted a correlation between a spike in RWIs and weekends. The reason is obvious: Without the same level of protection and oversight of someone who understands the pump room and the associated issues related to water chemistry or filtration systems, things can--and do--go wrong.

Aquatics professionals aren't the only ones at fault. Health officers who regulate pool and spa environments also perform their duties for the most part during the business week, again on banker's hours. Reviewing pool chemical records after the fact only provides evidence of noncompliance with disinfection and pH standards (the most common pool code violations in the nation).

As we have become all too aware due to recent outbreaks, without proper water chemistry, aquatics facilities can quickly become breeding grounds for disease. And increasingly, the public is fighting back with costly lawsuits.

If we hope to change this trend and gain back the public trust, we must be more diligent in ...