Stay Water Smart—Even With a Pool!

What better on a hot summer day than diving into a cool and sparkling pool? However your pool is a big source of water use, and there are many ways to practice water conservation and avoid the guilt associated with your investment and the beautiful amenity.

Pool covers can reduce evaporation of the water in your pool by as much as 95%. More than half the water in your pool can evaporate in a single year, which can mean thousands of gallons of lost H2O. A pool measuring 18’ x 36’ can lose about an inch of water per week in summer months, equating to approximately 7,000 gallons of water. A cover helps keep the water in!

Lowering the level of water in your pool also helps reduce water that can be lost as a result of pool antics and excessive water play. Lowering the level of the water so that it is one inch above the bottom of the pool tile helps keep the water off the cool deck and in the pool

Check out anything that looks as though it might be a leak in or around your pool. Signs can include damp spots downstream of the pool, water-saturated soil near the pool, pumps or pool plumbing equipment, leaking pipes, valves and joiners. Loose tiles or cracks could also be an indicator of a leak.

Backwash your pool’s filter only when necessary, and only long enough for the water to run clean in the sight glass. Backwash can be directed onto lawns or shrubs to reuse the water while benefitting the green areas around your yard and home.

And when thinking of landscaping, plant pool-area shrubs and use fences as barriers to help reduce water loss from wind evaporation. Decreasing the occurrence and amount of wind going across the pool will cut down on evaporation.

So, with just these few tips, you won’t feel the need to fill in the pool, or feel the guilt of owning and enjoying a cool, refreshing swimming pool.