Maintenance Committee: Pool Upkeep

With summer in full swing, our community’s maintenance prep work is paying off. If you step into the newly painted community center, play a little ping pong on the new table, take a dip in the clean clear pool, or relax on one of the brand new lounge chairs, you will see evidence of the time and planning it takes to provide the amenities we all enjoy in Niguel Shores.
The pool, for example, follows a list of about 25 daily procedures that start long before the first swimmers arrive.
The work begins at 4 a.m. by Dave Smith of our maintenance team, and every step has to be logged for our County inspections.
Simple things like opening the gates and uncovering the pool then lead to daily maintenance activities like skimming and vacuuming, cleaning the skimmer baskets, and checking the entire filter pump and equipment system. Then the chemical levels (chlorine, pH, etc.) have to be tested manually for the pool and spa. Any deviation from the norm will require immediate attention. In addition, the pool and spa have to be cleaned daily in the summer, and the area has to be checked for debris, cigarettes
butts (not allowed but some pay no attention), bobby pins, band-aids, food and whatever else is left, dropped or spilled.
Then the deck is hosed off and power washed if needed. All this happens before anyone dips a toe into the water each day.
There is a lot of detailed work that goes into making sure we pass the semi-annual County inspections mentioned above. In addition to keeping a record of the daily procedures, all the equipment must be in proper working order. All chemical levels, pool and spa temperatures, recirculation systems, safety signs, gates, lighting, and emergency shut off switches need checking. The list goes on and on. Most recently the county inspector commented along with his report, “Thank you for your time to assist my inspection. You do a really great job to maintain the pool and spa.”
I am sure County Inspectors don’t go around handing out praise like that all the time. GREAT JOB, DAVE AND THE WHOLE MAINTENANCE TEAM! And thanks from all of us who enjoy your hard work without even knowing it!
—Geoff Dunlevie