The Independent Pool and Spa Service Association, Inc. exists to improve the industry through community, education and support.

The Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA) was formed in 1988 as a result of a merger between IPSA and Cal-IPSA. Those two organizations were a part of the original association founded in 1961 for the purpose of pool service technicians banding together to help each other in times of illness or disability. IPSSA exists for the mutual professional benefit and growth of its members and for the continued improvement of the pool and spa industry.

Why join IPSSA?

By joining IPSSA, you will become professionally affiliated with the largest pool service industry organization in the world. Along with the other 2,700+ members, you will find:

• Community: Be a part of a larger community of service techs for networking opportunities.
• Education: Exclusive educational opportunities including IPSSA Education Fund
• Support: Techs-4-Techs- route coverage during illness, injury + service-tech insuranc

Learn more about joining IPSSA.

Education fund

The IPSSA Education Committee is charged with identifying educational opportunities in all facets of the swimming pool and spa service and repair industry. Individual scholarships through the IPSSA Education Fund are available to all self-employed pool and spa professionals. Funding is provided to applicants who have completed qualified classes.

In accordance with these guidelines, the following classes qualify (not exclusive): Industry trade show education; certified pool operator; aquatics facility operator; contractor license schools; manufacturer-sponsored courses; college courses is bookkeeping, accounting, computers and chemistry; and trade school courses in plumbing, electrical and mechanical.

Based upon the determination of the Committee, other courses may qualify for funding. Individuals that received a discount on classes sponsored by IPSSA are not eligible for reimbursement.Applicants may apply once per calendar year, up to $500 per class instruction for individuals.

For questions about the program, please inquire at info@ipssa.com or call 888-360-9505 ext. 2.

Training

IPSSA offers free education and certification testing for our members in the following areas below, please note the study guides are highly encouraged and available for purchase in the webstore (Member Pricing applies when logged into IPSSA.com portal). Each exam allows for 10 attempts; you can access each exam by using the following links: 

• Basic training 1 – Water chemistry
• Basic training 2 – Equipment
• Intermediate training
• Pool chlorination

IPSSA also offers a variety of resources for education purposes that are not tied to certification testing. Learn more.

Water safety and drowning prevention

Here at IPSSA, we know water safety and drowning prevention is imperative at every age. Drowning happens without a sound and is the leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 5.

IPSSA National has partnered with NDPA (National Drowning Prevention Alliance) to create a complete water safety “Toolkit”  of free resources that IPSSA members can use to promote safety around swimming pools to their customers and in their surrounding communities. These resources include: printable water watcher tags, coloring sheets, printable fliers, safety check lists, posters, short videos and pre-designed social media posts.

The general toolkit and a specific toolkit for vacation rental hosts can be downloaded by members with the password IPSSAndpa.

Awards

The service professionals in the pool and spa category are the backbone of our industry.  Yet many of these hardworking women and men don’t often receive recognition for their hard work, especially the extra efforts they make to build a community and support network for other individual IPSSA businesses.  These awards are the perfect way to nominate a fellow IPSSA member, an outstanding chapter and encourage newer members to participate and be recognized by the national organization as well as by the greater industry.

There are three annual awards: 

1. The Chapter of the Year Award is designed to recognize chapters that embody Education, Tech-to-Tech Support and Community. IPSSA’s core values are what make IPSSA members the highest quality of pool professionals in the pool service industry.
2. The IPSSA Pool Professional of Tomorrow Award is designed specifically for newer members, applicants must be active in the industry for less than 10 years. The award is for any IPSSA Member who demonstrates commitment to the growth and future of the pool service industry through the activities within their chapter and community in the qualifying year. Member must be in the pool industry 10 years or less and exemplify IPSSA’s core values of community, education and support.
3. The Terry Cowles Lifetime Achievement Award honors those that express values and contributions like Terry. He had been a longtime outstanding member of IPSSA who had been involved in the creation of the IPSSA Benevolent Fund.

Nominate someone for an award!

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