Frequently Asked Questions
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Receiving your CPO Certification is simple! You can sign up to attend one of Pool School of Oregon’s Certified Pool Operator (CPO) courses taught by John Mason, R.E.H.S. Instructor. Pool School offers a 2-day classroom experience where you get the benefit of hands-on instruction from an experienced instructor with 20 years of experience in pool and spa operation and maintenance. By attending an in-person class, you will also hear and learn from the experience of other students in the profession. This is also a chance to create business contact within the pool operator profession.
You will learn how to:
Reduce risks in and around the water
Prevent drowning, recreational water illness, suction entrapment, evisceration, protect your staff and clients from chemical hazards.
Address regulatory guidelines
Maintain disinfection and water balance
Manage water problems
Perform troubleshooting, chemical testing, and record keeping
Manage chemical feed system, both manual and computer driven,
Utilize automation and technology
How to get signed up for a CPO class.
Once your registration is received, I will mail out your CPO manual, reading list and course location details and agenda. Read as much of the CPO manual as you can before the class, to help you do your best in class.
The afternoon of the second day will be reserved for the CPO test. A passing score of 75% will qualify you for certification with the P.H.T.A. You will receive your certification in about 6 weeks in an email from PHTA.com.
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CPO certification provides individuals with the knowledge, techniques, and skills required for proper pool operations.
Available both in-person and virtually (when virtual delivery method is approved by the local jurisdiction/state)
Course materials are up-to-date with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC), and the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC)
Content is supported and researched by actual scientists that are active and hands-on in the aquatic industry
Content covers both commercial and residential pools
Students receive one-on-one support from your Instructor
PHTA Customer Service Support is available by phone, email, or web chat
Certification leads to education growth and expanded job opportunities
Course is IACET, Florida CILB, California Department of Public Health, and Environmental Health Association approved
Certification is valid for 5 years
Receive both digital and hard-copy certificates
CPO is the first step towards additional PHTA service and maintenance certifications
Receive a CPO Badge to use for marketing materials, allowing the industry to verify you are current and certified with PHTA
Join online communities to better support your efforts in the industry
Become a PHTA Member to continue your education and have further support in your jurisdiction or chapter
Download the CPO Certification Training brochure.
Course Options
The curriculum of CPO® Certification courses is taught by certified instructors and will cover information from the Pool & Spa Operator™ Handbook and local codes. Course completion can occur through the following:
Classroom Course: This is a 16-hour, two-day program taught by a certified instructor.
With an instructor, followed by the exam—in-person or virtual. Please check your local jurisdiction for approval regarding the virtual delivery option.
CPO certification has achievement written all over it. Grab your spot in the most adopted pool operator course in the world. Why a CPOSM Certification? The PHTA Certified Pool & Spa Operator Certification is recognized by local and state authorities as the most widely accepted, verifiable pool and spa training credential. Each year, more than 30,000 professionals learn how to more efficiently operate safer aquatic facilities with this program.
Why a CPO certification?
The CPO certification is valid for five years. This is an approved National Environmental Health Association course which will earn you 16 CEUs.
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Our 2-Day Classroom Course is the traditional Certified Pool Operator experience. Our instructors will lead participants through the CPO curriculum in a dynamic classroom environment.
Students will have time to interact and engage with the instructor throughout both days with additional time for one-on-one instruction.
Your certification will be good for five years.
More details:
Class Schedule: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m each day, with breaks for lunch.
Tuition is $465.00. This includes all materials, textbook, examination, and certification fees.
Textbook: We’ll ship materials immediately upon enrollment. Your textbook and welcome information will arrive in 2-3 mail days via USPS. Enroll with the address where we should send the packet.
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A CPO® Course with Pool School of Oregon will cover everything you need to become a fully trained aquatics facility professional! The course covers the following topics but is not limited to:
Essential Volume & Water Loss Calculations
Water Flow & Circulation Calculations
Circulation System Components
Pump & Motor Operation
Filtration & Heating Components
Swimming Water Disinfection
Water Balance & Chemistry
Chemical Adjustment Calculations
Chemical Feed & Control
Codes & Compliance
Regulations & Standards
Pool Water Contamination
Pool & Spa Water Problems
Facility Safety Protocols
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This fundamental training and reference manual is for aquatic professionals, including operators, health officials, service technicians, retailers, property managers, and manufacturers. Industry leaders recognize this handbook as the single most important resource for the recreational water industry. Handbook features include:
Full color throughout
Color-coded chapter identification
Expanded keyword index and table of contents
Mathematical and calculation guides
PHTA has almost 700 Instructors who offer training in 127 different countries. We guarantee professionally trained Instructors that are required to uphold annual agreements and industry standards, as well as abide by pertinent local, state, and federal laws.
We hold high standards for our Instructors, which is why any individual seeking to become an Instructor for PHTA is required to go through an Instructor Assessment School to understand their ability to educate and ensure they walk away understanding:
Adult Learner Characteristics
Theories of Learning
Communication
Law of Retention
Stages of Learning
And more
About CPO
The Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) certification program is the world’s leading education and certification program for keeping pools safer and keeping them open. Over 700,000 students have been trained since 1973.
For over 50 years, CPO certification has provided individuals with the knowledge, techniques, and skills required for proper pool operations. The course follows latest guidance from the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC). All classroom and study documents are based on the latest science from the aquatic industry.
The need for qualified swimming pool and spa operators has never been greater. Managing a pool requires knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematical concepts. The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance works to make pools safer for users and operators, through education and research.
The CPO® course is a nationally recognized program for commercial pool and spa operators. The course was developed by the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (www.PHTA.org) whose mission is to encourage healthier living through aquatic education and research. This scientifically proven research guides lessons and materials in the CPO Manual. The CPO certification is valid for five years and is universally recognized throughout the United States and the world. Certification requires passing a written, open book test, with a passing score of at least 75 percent. Those that pass the course will receive a permanent registration number as Certified Pool/Spa Operators. The CPO certification is also an assurance to facility owners, and managers, that the pool operator, and maintenance staff are trained in the most advanced pool & spa techniques.
A two-day class is offered by John Mason, a Registered Environmental Health Specialist with the State of Oregon, and Registered Instructor of the Certified Pool Operators program through the PHTA. John draws on over 20 years of operational pool experience to provide insight and analogies to help you better understand this diverse and often complicated career.
You are encouraged to sign up for a local class. Upon receipt of registration material and payment, a CPO handbook, class location and all class materials will be mailed to you. All lecture materials, handouts, practice calculations, and reference dosing charts will come from the CPO handbook. The course is taught so that the CPO manual will serve as a reference during class, and is an invaluable resource, as well as reference guide to the CPO on the job. All topics covered in this 250-page color manual are written by experts with long standing experience on the subjects taught. A partial list of the chapters include:
Pool & spa management
Essential calculations
Contamination & Disinfection
Understanding pool chemistry
Water treatment
Circulation and filtration,
Water balance
Spa and therapy operations
Maintenance systems,
Automatic chemical feed equipment
Government requirements
Trouble shooting
Best use of the Test kit.
In person class consists of 16 hours of integrated instruction with both visual examples and the ability to follow with the CPO manual. The last two hours of class are for the open book, CPO exam. If you pass the test, you will be registered with the PHTA as a Certified Pool Operator. The accreditation is good for 5 years and is accepted worldwide.
You are urged to register as early as possible to ensure the CPO handbook, practice math problems, and class material will arrive prior to class. The more of the CPO manual you can read before class, the better prepared you will be to absorb the lecture topics and the classroom practice handouts.
Get certified with the industry’s leading pool operator program.
Boost your credentials and meet health code requirements with the Certified Pool & Spa Operator® certification. PHTA certifications are recognized as the industry benchmark for excellence. Whether you're focused on operations, service, building, or design, our certification pathways help you stand out, grow your expertise, and gain the trust of clients and peers alike.