MAKING YOUR POOL MORE WATER EFFICIENT

with TPM Piscine Services

Olivier of TPM Piscine (and for transparency the editor’s husband) has a bit of a rant.

We need rain here in the P-O.
The present drought is a serious issue, not just for today but for the future, and many people, alongside politicians and the media, are pointing the finger at swimming pools as one of the big (and frivolous) wasters of water.
So please forgive me if, whilst agreeing wholeheartedly that water restrictions are necessary and important and urgent measures are required in times of drought, I make a case for my livelihood, the swimming pool.

Restrictions on water during 2022 had a massive knock on effect on a whole range of businesses, amongst them swimming pool companies (construction and maintenance), and product sales, but also gardeners, garden centres, flower shops… Farmers were protected to a certain extent by the government but not enough and still suffered enormous losses.

But the truth is that a well managed pool uses less water than a family of 4 flushing the toilet once a day after a pee and a poo!

So if you’re lucky enough to have a pool, how can you make it more water efficient? Here are a few pointers.

1. Pools should NOT be emptied every year. A well balanced water should last up to 3 to 5 years. Even longer for water treated with non chlorine tablets.
2. Avoid chlorine tablets especially poor quality ones as these contain stabilisers that cannot be removed and oblige regular renewal of water. Much better options are salt units, hydrogen peroxide pumps etc..
2. Make sure that your pool doesn’t leak
3. Stop evaporation by installing a bubble cover, security and bar cover, or automatic shutters. Enclosures (abris) tend to be a less better option as condensation created runs back onto the terraces and not the pool.
4. Stop splashing! 🙂 A person, depending on their size, going in and out of the pool can take up to 3 litres out of the pool.
5. Store and reuse rainwater. Rain water is the obvious water source to use. Unfortunately it will need more chemicals to stabilise it as opposed to tap water.
6. Store and reuse water from the overflow of the pool. It is a shame to loose already treated water. This will require modifications.
7. Don’t backwash sand filters too often. A filter does not need to be backwashed every week but maybe twice in the season. Use the pressure gauge as an indicator. Choose your sunscreen carefully. Sun cover is important of course but the cream clogs up the filter and therefore increases the need to backwash.
8. Re-use water from backwashes. Store the water in separate tanks to let it decant. You can even add a filter and a chlorine neutraliser to reuse the water for the pool or garden.
9. Use an electric robot to clean your pool instead of vacuuming through the filter. Especially when you have fine sand, that will eventually come back through the filter.
10. Ask for advice from a professional.

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