New Pool Operation Requirements

As members of the Apartment Association of New Mexico, you want to be informed on the latest information regarding changes to requirements for operating your pools. You know that your pool operators have to go through training and be certified before pools are approved for your residents’ use. This certification is required to be kept up, and most of you have a certification that needs renewal every three years.

Several significant changes have been made by the  New Mexico Environment Department. AANM has been working with our current and past instructors as well as New Mexico Environment Department to navigate the changes and determine the best way for our members to meet those specifications.

While work continues to take place behind the scenes, you and your teams need to be apprised of the situation in order to plan for the current scenario.

In May of 2016, the Environmental Improvement Board adopted new regulations that became effective August 1, 2016. The Model Aquatics Health Code (MAHC) is incorporated in the New Mexico Regulations by reference, and AANM can provide a link to the MAHC for your convenience.

The major change that we at AANM have been concerned with is the education and testing requirements. Many of your teams are used to spending a day in class to learn, review, and test on the requirements of the pool operators.  The training requirement has moved to encompass two full days of training and an additional half day for testing. The cost of the more expansive training, as you might guess, will be considerably more expensive.

AANM has worked with the New Mexico Environment Department to receive an extension for the single day seminar and exam to be approved, as long as the course is completed by June 30, 2017. This requirement is for all our communities across the state. AANM continues to negotiate on behalf of the membership to find a better middle ground for the education requirements that will not place such a time and money hardship on many of our members’ communities.

AANM is the only provider of the one-day training in the state. It is highly recommended that your maintenance teams attend one of the sessions prior to the last day of June this year. The certification received will still be honored for 3 years at any municipality in New Mexico.  Many sessions are selling out 30 days in advance, so you’ll want to register your teams sooner than later. AANM will keep the membership posted as we make more progress on the situation.

Questions regarding this new policy can be directed to AANM’s Executive Director, Kelle Senyé at 505-822-1114 or kelle@aanm.org.