Few things pose a larger challenge for aquatic directors than securing the funding for preventive maintenance and capital improvement. Whether they answer to a government entity such as a city council or a board of directors, aquatic directors must convince a group of people who are not fluent in aquatics-speak that a project will benefit the community or clients enough to warrant a place in their budget.
Before requesting additional resources, aquatic professionals should understand where their facilities stand today. That starts with developing and committing to plans for preventive maintenance and capital improvement.
Preventive maintenance is one of the most important responsibilities of an aquatic professional, but it can often go overlooked. When done well, it extends equipment lifespan, improves operational reliability, reduces emergency repairs, and helps create a safer environment for guests and staff. Yet preventive maintenance is often the first thing to fall behind when facilities must balance limited budgets, staffing shortages, and the day-to-day demands of keeping programs running.
The reality is that preventive maintenance is about far more than checking boxes on an inspection form. This first article walks through a practical process for evaluating a current preventive maintenance program, identifying gaps, and creating the documentation needed to support long-term planning. Down the road, this will help aquatic professionals build a budget and justify it to their governing bodies.
Assess the preventive maintenance plan
Aquatic professionals should start by reviewing their existing preventive maintenance programs. Are they documented?
A strong preventive maintenance plan constitutes more than a collection of work orders or even a maintenance calendar. It should comprise a documented system that outlines what needs to be maintained, when it should be completed, who is responsible, how the work should be performed, and how it will be documented. The goal is consistency: If another manager or technician stepped into the role tomorrow, they should be able to pick up the plan and step right in where the previous manager or technician left off.
The most effective plans will include these five essential components:
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Facility asset inventory: This includes mechanical equipment (things that make the pool run, such as pumps, feeders, filters, etc.), aquatic infrastructure (the components of the pool and pool area, such as decking, gutters, the pool shell), and building systems (HVAC, dehumidifiers, etc.). Where possible, aquatic professionals should include manufacturer information, model and serial numbers, installation dates, location, and replacement cost.
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Scheduled maintenance tasks: Aquatic professionals should build a calendar with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks to transform maintenance from something to remember to something that is managed and under control. Maintenance intervals should be drawn from manufacturer recommendations.
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Clearly assigned responsibilities: For every task, aquatic professionals should specify who performs it, who verifies completion, what qualifications might be required, and when to enlist an outside contractor. By creating accountability within the plan, important tasks are less likely to fall through the cracks.
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Standard operating procedures: The plan should link to step-by-step procedures or manufacturer instructions. Aquatic professionals should consider including the tools or personal protective equipment (PPE) needed, safety precautions, and lockout/tagout procedures.
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Documentation and recordkeeping: Maintenance activities should be documented consistently so inspections, repairs, and follow-up actions can be tracked over time.
Pro Tip: Think of inspections as the “early warning system” for a preventive maintenance program. The issues professionals identify today often become the projects they will prioritize in tomorrow’s capital improvement plan.
Assess plan implementation
Even the most comprehensive preventive maintenance plan has little value without consistent implementation. A successful program depends on completing maintenance tasks as scheduled, documenting the work performed, and verifying that responsibilities are being fulfilled. When routine maintenance is postponed or overlooked, small issues can quickly become larger repairs, emergency failures, or safety concerns.
Aquatic professionals should establish realistic maintenance schedules that reflect their staffing levels and operational demands. They should assign clear responsibility for both completing and verifying each task. Regularly reviewing completed work orders and inspection records can help identify missed tasks, recurring delays, or areas where additional resources or training may be needed. Consistency and accountability will transform a maintenance plan from a document on a shelf into a reliable system that protects a facility and extends the life of its assets.
Pro Tip: Every facility has items that have become “part of the scenery”—the peeling paint, the patched concrete, the noisy pump, the broken gate latch that has been on the work order list for months. When familiarity causes aquatic professionals to stop seeing problems that deserve attention, it is a sign of facility blindness. During an annual assessment, they should intentionally look at the facility through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time. This can prove to be one of the most valuable exercises during the assessment.
Evaluate maintenance records
Completing preventive maintenance is only half the equation; documenting it is equally important. Organized maintenance records provide a history of inspections, repairs, and recurring issues that can help identify trends, support warranty claims, demonstrate regulatory compliance, and justify future budget requests. They also ensure that valuable institutional knowledge is not lost when staff members change roles or leave the organization.
A documentation system does not have to be complicated, but it should be consistent and easy to access. Whether aquatic professionals use a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), spreadsheets, or paper records, documentation should include the date of service, equipment or asset serviced, work performed, observations, repairs completed, parts replaced, follow-up recommendations, and the person who completed the work. Inspection reports, manufacturer manuals, warranties, service contracts, and major repair records should also be organized in a central location for quick reference when needed.
Many facility managers discover that maintenance activities occur but are not formally documented. Others find that responsibilities are spread among multiple departments without clear accountability. Identifying these issues early provides a foundation for improvement.
Review manufacturer recommendations
While every facility operates under different conditions, manufacturer recommendations provide an excellent starting point. From there, aquatic professionals can adjust maintenance frequencies based on operating hours, water chemistry, environmental conditions, and the facility’s experience with the equipment. Using these recommendations can help maximize performance and extend equipment life.
Inspect critical safety systems
While every piece of equipment deserves attention, some play a direct role in protecting health and safety. Critical safety systems might include chemical control and disinfection systems, emergency shut-off switches, circulation and filtration, main drain covers, fencing and gates, and fire protection systems, among others. Professionals should give these systems additional attention through routine inspections, functional testing, and thorough documentation.
The appropriate inspection frequency will depend on the equipment, manufacturer recommendations, regulatory requirements, and the organization’s policies. Some items, such as rescue equipment and chemical safety systems, may require daily visual inspections, while others are inspected weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. Rather than relying on memory, aquatic professionals should incorporate these inspections into a documented preventive maintenance schedule so they occur consistently.
Looking ahead
A well-designed preventive maintenance program does more than keep equipment running: it creates the structure, documentation, and consistency needed to make informed decisions about a facility’s future. By taking the time to evaluate current practices, strengthen accountability, and maintain accurate records, aquatic professionals will be better prepared to identify long-term needs before they become costly emergencies.
The next article in this series will build on this foundation by exploring how to develop a capital improvement plan. Aquatic professionals will learn how to evaluate the condition and remaining useful life of major assets, prioritize replacement projects, and create a long-term roadmap to help their organization plan ahead rather than react to the next equipment failure.
