Swimming pools contaminated with wastewater

There are two options for cleaning contaminated swimming pools.

Option 1 

Empty, clean and re-fill the pool. Ensure emptied water is not directed to the stormwater system.

Option 2

  1. Remove all visible material with a scoop.
  2. Add a flocculant or clarifier, dispersing and mixing it over the entire pool.
  3. Turn the filter off for 8 hours, to allow for solid materials to settle to the bottom of the pool.
  4. Vacuum settled materials to waste (not via the filter).
  5. Backwash the filter.
  6. Super chlorinate the water at 10 milligrams per litre (maintained), for more than 24 hours, by adding:

    • more than 14grams of granular chlorine (75%) per 1000 litres of water.
    • more than 80 milligrams of liquid chlorine (13%) per 1000 litres of water.

This should meet the minimum concentration and time value to super chlorinate an un-stabilised pool.
Stabilised pools should be circulated for more than 52 hours (at 10mg/lRoutinely check the concentration of chlorine throughout the super chlorination process and add the required dosage to maintain desired level.

  1. Check the pH level is 7.2 – 7.6, adjusting if necessary.
  2. Operate the filter for 24 hours.
  3. Backwash the filter.
  4. Ensure that the water is clear and chlorine level is between 1 to 5 milligrams per litre prior to pool use.
  5. Repeat the flocculation process if the water is still turbid (cloudy)