Swimming Pool Water Quality

The water supplied by the DRUC to the cities of Manchester, Hillsville Utility District and the Tullahoma Utilities Board is very good for use in a swimming pool.  There are no significant metals such as iron or manganese in the water that can cause pool staining and other treatment problems.  Therefore, there is NO need to use mineral removal chemicals or similar additives in a pool or spa using DRUC supplied water.

DRUC water is regulated at a pH of 7.2 units, the total hardness averages 50 mg/l (ppm) and the total alkalinity averages 40 mg/l (ppm).  The pH and alkalinity of the water in a pool or spa should be adjusted upward as per the recommendation of the pool or spa manufacturer.  It is important to maintain the pH, hardness and alkalinity at the correct level for proper disinfection and to prevent premature liner failure.  A water test kit is essential to the routine maintenance of your pool or spa.  If you are unsure or confused about the your test results, the DRUC will test your pool water at no charge on a limited basis.  

Ordinary baking soda is the chemical most commonly sold to increase pH and alkalinity.  Baking soda purchased at a wholesale or discount store will work just as well as the products sold specifically for use in a pool or spa and is usually much less expensive.

Chlorine products are also very similar.  Look at the active ingredients and consider the available chlorine level of each product.  Whether you use free chlorine or a stabilized chlorine product, the available chlorine level in various brands of these products are not significantly different.  Choose the least expensive product with the highest level of available chlorine.  Shock type products are only slightly stronger than ordinary granular chlorine and may not be a good value.  It may be a better bargain to simply use slightly more ordinary granular chlorine to shock a pool or spa instead of purchasing a shock labeled product.