The effects of excess water after a storm or flood can have a significant impact on your pool’s structure and water chemistry.

Along with the usual culprits that accompany heavy rain, such as debris, dirt, overflow and contaminates, La Niña weather and floodwaters bring additional long-term consequences – such as diluting your pool chemicals, increased risk of mosquito-borne viruses or adding excessive mud and dirt to your pool, which can lead to it turning brown.

If you’ve experienced a significant weather event it’s important to know what to do before you commence the clean-up of your pool. And remember, it’s not just about getting your pool healthy but also about ensuring the safety of you and your family.

Here’s the Poolwerx guide on how to clean your pool after a storm or flood:

1. Assess risk
If your pool equipment has been submerged by water, contact an experienced professional and do not go near it. It’s important that all electrical equipment is turned off and fully isolated before approaching it, especially if it’s been submerged by water.

2. Contact a Professional
After a flood or storm, it’s important to engage a professional pool technician to help inspect your pool and equipment for damage.
If your pool has turned murky and brown, or if any pool equipment has been submerged by water, it can be tempting to drain the pool but it’s important to note that draining your pool may not always be the best solution in the first instance. Draining it too soon may cause further flooding or overflow, impact your pool’s structure, or damage your equipment.

Contact your local Poolwerx and our experienced pool technicians can come out and assess the situation.

3. Assess Equipment
Electrical pool equipment that has been through a storm or flood poses a safety risk if not handled correctly. As mentioned above, please ensure all power is turned off before you go near the equipment and contact a professional before approaching it.

Your pool filter receives a workout during a weather event such as a flood which may also cause it to become clogged. Skimmer and pump baskets will need to be emptied and filters should be soaked in a filter cleaner until the scum loosens and can be wiped away. If you have a sand filter, this will require backwashing in order to remove the contaminants and should only be done so once flood water has dissipated completely.

Any damaged filters will need to be replaced.

If you’re unsure what to do and where to start, your local Poolwerx is here to help. We are only a phone call away.

4. Remove large leaves and debris
Once the rain has passed, you can begin to clean the pool – but you’ll want to act fast, if left for a prolonged period, large debris may influence the water chemistry and will potentially stain your pool’s surface. For more information on how to treat your pool after a storm, head to our blog here.

5. Test Water Chemistry
Next, test your pool water. Your local Poolwerx offers free water testing and our experienced staff will be able to offer recommendations that are best suited for your pool. For more on how often you should test your pool water, read our blog here.

Handy tip: Always take a water sample at elbow depth to get an accurate water chemistry reading – especially after heavy rain.

Murky Pool Clean Up
Heavy rainfall can lead to water runoff into your pool containing dirt, soil and mud. If your pool is looking brown, and murky, try adding a Flocculant such as the Vitalyse Fast Floc. Perfect to use after rainstorms this concentrated formula binds dirt and mud particles together and drops them to the bottom of the pool floor where they can easily be vacuumed.
For more information on how to fix a brown pool after rain, storms and floods head to our blog here.

Although cleaning up a pool after a big weather event can be a difficult task, it’s important to remember the pool safety tips we’ve outlined and not swim in the water until it’s chemically balanced.

Article Contributed by Poolwerx

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