Saving Pools Saves Lives Initiative

Saving Pools Saves Lives is a national initiative dedicated to protecting, improving, and expanding access to aquatic facilities in communities across the country.

Community pools are more than places for recreation. They provide essential opportunities for swim lessons, water safety education, drowning prevention, competitive swimming, fitness, rehabilitation, therapy, and family connection. When pools close or fall into disrepair, communities lose one of their most important resources for teaching lifesaving skills and supporting lifelong health.

A central part of the initiative is the Aquatic Health Club model, a modern approach to creating sustainable aquatic facilities built around year-round health, wellness, education, and community programming. Rather than relying on a single program or seasonal use, the model brings together learn-to-swim lessons, water exercise, therapy, rehabilitation, competitive programs, personal training, family recreation, and community partnerships.

This diversified programming creates multiple sources of participation and revenue, helping aquatic facilities operate more like community health and wellness centers. The goal is to make pools financially sustainable, highly utilized, and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

Saving Pools Saves Lives brings together aquatic professionals, community leaders, healthcare providers, schools, organizations, and industry partners to advocate for existing pools, support facility renovations, encourage new aquatic development, and create stronger operational and programming plans.

By preserving community pools and advancing the Aquatic Health Club model, the initiative works toward a simple but powerful goal: giving more people access to safe water, quality instruction, improved health, and the skills needed to prevent drowning.

Because when we save pools, we strengthen communities, improve health, and save lives.