How to quickly clear a pool after a flash flood or heavy rainstorm

“In Austin, it doesn’t just rain; it pours. And all that runoff wants to live in your pool.”

Central Texas is known for flash floods. If your pool is at the bottom of a slope, a single heavy downpour can wash mud, mulch, and lawn chemicals into your water.

Expert Recovery Steps:

1. Drain the Excess: First, get the water level back down to the middle of the skimmer.
2. Scoop the Big Stuff: Use a leaf net to get as much organic matter out as possible before it breaks down.
3. Shock it Hard: Rainwater is dirty and contains nitrates and phosphates. You need to “super-chlorinate” to kill the contaminants immediately.
4. Floc or Clarify: If the water is chocolate-milk brown, you might need a “Floc” treatment to drop the mud to the bottom, followed by a vacuum-to-waste.

Austin Detail: Austin soil is often high in iron. Heavy rains can wash this iron into your pool, which can cause metallic staining if not treated with a metal sequesterant.

Sent from my iPhone while cleaning up after a storm in Northwest Hills.