Save water for pools and spas

In the Northern Territory, many people have swimming pools in their backyards.

On average, homes with pools use twice as much water as those without due to water loss.

How you lose water

Evaporation happens when water turns into a gas and disappears into the air.

In the summer, the water evaporates faster because it's hotter outside.

In one day, up to 300L (or 30 buckets) of water can evaporate from a pool.

If you don't add more water, almost all of the pool water can evaporate over a year.

Different things can affect how fast the water evaporates. These include humidity, wind and how hot the water is.

The bigger the pool, the more water you lose from evaporation.

Water usage

The average supply is around 17L per minute.

If you add new water to the pool every day or every other day in the summer, you can end up using a lot of water.

17L x 30 minutes x 30 days = 15,300L per month

Combine this top-up with the water lost through evaporation (approx. 9000L per month) and your pool’s water use could be up to 24,000L per month.

What you can do

There are ways to use less water.

Check for leaks

If you need more chemicals or if the pool is losing more water than usual, there might be a leak.

Use pool covers

You can also use a pool cover to keep the water from evaporating too quickly.

This is especially helpful during the dry season or when you're not using the pool.

It can significantly reduce the amount of evaporated water by up to 95%.

Even if you use pool blankets or liquid pool covers, they can still reduce evaporation rates by 40% or more.

Using a pool cover when the pool is not in use can also provide additional benefits. These include:

• preventing debris from falling into the pool
• reducing the amount of chemicals needed to keep the pool clean.

This means less time spent cleaning the pool and less money spent on chemicals.

You can also:

• provide shade for your pool to reduce evaporation
• install windbreaks or position your pool to protect it from wind.

Maintain your pool

Make sure you maintain your pool properly to keep the water clean and safe to swim in.

Cleaning filters

There are ways to clean the filters without using too much water.

Sand filters are commonly used in pools and need to be backwashed every 4 to 6 weeks.

You should only backwash until the water runs clear, as doing it for too long can waste a lot of water. You can save water by using a backwash minimisation system.

Other filters, like cartridge filters, can be cleaned manually by rinsing and soaking them in a solution. They only need to be replaced every 2 to 3 years.

Proper chemical balancing

Keeping the chemicals in your pool properly balanced can prevent and cure most water clarity problems.

By doing this, you can avoid draining and refilling your pool for up to 10 years.

Follow waterwise pool tips

Follow these tips to save water while using your pool:

• No bombing or excessive splashing - these activities waste water and disturb the chemical balance of the pool.
• Drip dry on the top step - instead of using towels, encourage pool users to drip dry on the top step so that the water goes back into the pool.
• Top up with a bucket - top up the pool with a bucket of water you know how much water is being used.
• Limit fountain and waterfall use - only run pool fountains and waterfalls when you're entertaining since they increase evaporation rates.
• Avoid overfilling the pool - keep the water level about halfway up the skimmer box opening for the filter to function properly.
• Lower water level - consider lowering the water level to reduce water loss from splashing.

Contact

If you have any questions, contact the Water Resources office.