In the past week, our sparkling clear pool water has become cloudy and turned various shades of green.  Algae blooms are not unusual in August, and we have dealt with them before.  We routinely circulate, filter, and add chlorine to control algae and sanitize the water 24 hours/day.  Our chlorine levels are good.  Chlorine works better at specific PH levels, and ours is there.  Cloudiness is typically dead algae that the pool filtration system should remove.  We add a chemical clarifier to bind tiny dead algae into clusters that are easier for the filters to trap.  Under normal conditions, once a week (after closing) we backwash the pool filters to flush out contaminants and “shock” the pool with a heavy dose of chlorine.

Our response to the current situation has been to keep the pool open, double our normal schedule for backwashing, shocking, clarifying, and vacuuming, and monitor changes in clarity.

posted 08.14.26