Treatment for Brown Pool Due to Recent Flooding

Due to the recent flooding that the Denton area has experienced, some pools have turned brown. Depending on the severity of the problem, in some cases it might be necessary to drain and refill the pool. But we have found that in most cases, the following treatment will solve the problem.

Recommended Treatment for Chlorine and Saltwater Pools:

• Adjust pH to approximately 7.2 and maintain the pH level at this level throughout this process.
• Superchlorinate the pool using one of the following chlorines:
  • Liquid chlorine—add 1 gallon of liquid per 10,000 gallons of pool water.
  • Granular chlorine—add 1 lb. of Turbo-Shock per 10,000 gallons of pool water.

Please be aware that both of these products will raise the pH and muriatic acid will need to be monitored to be sure that the pH stays at or near 7.2.

Note: If the pool is also green, triple the above dosage rates.

• Operate the pool pump continually until the pool is cleared up.
  • If you have a variable speed pump, operate the pump on high speed.
• Backwash or clean the filter as necessary (when pressure increases 8-10 psi over normal clean operating pressure).
  • If you have a sand filter or cartridge filter, the use of one of the following should speed up the process:
    • Poolife TurboBlu—add 2 oz. per 5,000 gallons directly to the pool. Do not overdose!
    • Poolife Natural Clarifier—add 5 oz. per 5,000 gallons directly to the pool.
  • If you have a DE filter, in addition to backwashing, the filter might need to be disassembled and cleaned multiple times throughout this process.
  • If you have a cartridge filter, the filter might need to be disassembled and cleaned multiple times throughout this process.
  • If you have a sand filter, backwashing the filter should do the trick. In rare situations, the filter sand might need to be replaced.
• When the water clears up, manually vacuum the debris off the floor of the pool.
  • If you have a multiport valve, vacuum with the valve in the waste mode. Please realize that you will be removing water from the pool, therefore be adding water to the pool at the same time.
  • If you do not have a multiport valve, it would be best to have us come and vacuum the pool using our portable equipment.
• Once the pool is cleaned up, balance the pool water and set the pump back to normal operation.

If No Improvement is Seen After Two Days, There are Two Other Options:

• Use Poolife Flocculant according to label directions.
• Consider draining and refilling the pool. If you do decide to drain and refill the pool, please be aware that in some cases empty swimming pools can experience movement resulting in structural damage.