It’s that time of year. If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution, look no further than your CPO textbook. The appendices section features several great checklists, spreadsheets, and documents that practically scream “new year, new you.” Here’s what you’ll find.

Daily Opening and Closing Checklist
Don’t leave the most important parts of your day up to chance. This checklist covers all the essentials, plus some easy-to-miss extras that play an important role in successful daily operations.

Daily Pool and Spa Chemical Log
Use this sheet as a supplement to your state-required forms, or as a freestanding spreadsheet that documents your best chemical practices poolside. As with many of these documents, we’ve digitized the Daily Chemical Log so you can easily modify it. Send us a request on our Contact Page. We’ll send you a copy.

Daily Locker Room Maintenance Checklist
It’s easy to disregard locker rooms and changing areas, and it’s even easier for patrons to notice when you do. A clean bathhouse encourages better hygiene poolside, and patrons are more likely to take regular bathroom breaks in a clean space. Make sure your locker rooms and changing areas are top notch in 2026.

Aquatic Incident Report
You’re probably required to complete incident and accident reports anytime someone gets hurt at your pool. This is a great practice and helps reduce poolside liability, but these reports serve another important purpose. A quick review can help you identify unique risks at your facility. Accidents that occur cyclically or repeatedly can often be avoided with small modifications to your facility or poolside rules. Reviewing these reports is a great way to kick off 2026.

Seasonal Opening Checklist
The latest opening checklist is a complete rundown of everything you need to do to prepare your pool for a smooth spring opening. Even better, we’ve used this checklist to develop our 10-Week Opening Plan.

Seasonal Closing Checklist
Seasonal openings go much more smoothly when you follow a disciplined plan during fall shutdown. This structured closing checklist protects your equipment and pool basin during the months when you’re not there to take care of them.

Preventative Maintenance Checklist
Staying ahead of your equipment is a great goal for 2026. This checklist outlines system components that require regular attention. Use it to catalog your equipment, then gather system manuals and refer to their preventative maintenance sections. For more detail on this process, check out our preventative maintenance article.

New Plaster Start Up Procedure
This structured plan works well anytime you need to drain and refill your pool. If you’ve ever questioned which chemicals to balance first, especially when everything is out of range, this procedure removes the guesswork.

Pool and Spa Inspection Checklist
With 135 bullet points spanning nearly 10 pages, this is one of the most detailed checklists in the CPO textbook. If “inspect what you expect” is one of your resolutions for 2026, this checklist makes the process thorough and manageable.

Body Fluid and Fecal Incident Response Log
Avoiding illness poolside is an intricate process, covered in detail in all CPO programs. These unavoidable incidents happen to even the best pool operators. Document your cleanup practices carefully, and be sure to share your procedures with the health department anytime a bodily fluid or fecal incident occurs at your facility.

Don’t have a CPO textbook? Sign up for any of our upcoming classes to receive your copy. We have 75 programs to choose from in 2026, offered in a variety of formats. Happy New Year!