California is rightly focused on cutting lawn watering during the record drought, but pools are another big target for water conservation.
The California Pool & Spa Association estimates there are more than 1.2 million residential pools statewide.
The pool association and Zodiac Pool Systems, a Vista-based manufacturer of pool supplies, offer these eight tips for saving water if you own a pool:
- Use pool covers to greatly reduce evaporation loss. An uncovered, 16-by-36 foot pool can lose as much as 180 gallons of water a week or 720 gallons of water a month to evaporation.
- Shut off waterfalls, fountains, and other water features to reduce water loss and evaporation.
- Avoid draining the pool water. With the help of chlorine and by “shocking” your pool, you can usually sanitize the existing water, no matter how dirty it is. Be sure to test it after you shock it.
- Use a cartridge filter. Cartridge filters use less than 25 percent of the water needed to backwash a sand or diatomaceous earth pool filter.
- If your pool is heated, reduce the water temperature to reduce evaporation.
- Fix any leaks that occur in the skimmers, pool liner or around the filter pump. It’s best to replace this equipment with the manufacturer’s genuine pool parts to ensure proper performance.
- Minimize splashing or lower the pool’s water level to reduce “splashout.”
- Plug the overflow line when the pool is in use.
The pool association says a well-maintained pool can actually use less water on a continuing basis that a typical irrigated lawn.
“Even though well-maintained pools and spas use significantly less water than traditional lawn and about as much as drought-resistant landscaping, we know we still have an important role to play in making sure our customers are responsible water users,” said Mike Geremia, chairman of the pool association.
