How pool service techs should respond after a wildfire
April 18, 2018
Pool cleanup
As mentioned earlier, pools in regions affected by wildfires will contain many things. Therefore, when allowable, it is best to drain and re-fill the pool. Service technicians should also inspect the integrity of pool walls, plaster, pipefittings, decking, and the surrounding landscape. The components of smoke from fire can cause severe lasting damage to equipment and structures, not to mention its adverse effects on water chemistry.
Smoke is corrosive and oxidative and can cause severe damage wherever it settles. If equipment and decking are covered in ash and smoke, service technicians should continue to use caution by wearing personal protective equipment (including gloves), as well as a breathing apparatus. There are many toxins in smoke and ash residue that can cause sickness. The best case is to allow professionals to deal with excessive cleanup situations.
The contents of ash
In the case of wildfires, a lot of ash will end up in pools. Ash from fires that burn lower than 449 C (840 F) is mostly organic carbon. At a higher temperature, the carbon is burned away leaving inorganic compounds. These include calcium, magnesium, and sodium. The fires in northern and southern California, for example, not only burned forest, but also homes and other structures.
Since the combustion rate is much higher for buildings, the makeup of the ash is quite different. At extreme combustion rates, ash can contain potassium and calcium oxides, which create quicklime (i.e. calcium oxide). If enough of this ash gets into the pool and into the filter, it can create a limestone cement coating on the filtration media.
Ash from homes and structures can also contain toxins such as lead, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium. Most of the ash that falls into a pool is also hydrophobic and repels water. This explains why the ash floats and is difficult to remove by skimming. Changing the charge of the ash by using a chitosan clarifier or an enzyme can help in the removal process.
Maintenance tips for pools along the outer perimeter of a wildfire
The pool surface should be brushed thoroughly for those pools that were not damaged, but within the vicinity of a wildfire.
In cases where homes were not damaged, but were in vicinity to a wildfire, pool service technicians can take the following steps:
Remove all large debris as soon as is possible.
Brush all surfaces thoroughly.
Skim smaller material with a pool net.
Make sure the filter is clean and operates properly.
Inspect all equipment.
Super-chlorinate the pool to 20 parts per million (ppm) or use a quality chlorine-free oxidizer.
Follow immediately with a clarifier to help remove small ash material to the filter.
Use an enzyme to help breakdown some of the non-living organic material that cannot be filtered.
After the chlorine level has fallen below 5 ppm, test and treat the water for phosphates.
Add a good broad-spectrum algaecide.
The filter should be cleaned throughout this process, as necessary.
Tech tips for servicing pools during a wildfire
Water in pools can contain toxins from smoke, ash, and firefighting chemicals; therefore, it is best to drain when possible.
Use extreme caution in areas where wildfires are active.
Always check ahead of time with emergency management personnel before attempting to enter neighbourhoods where fires have been.
Wear smoke protection when necessary (e.g. breathing mask and goggles).
Water in pools can contain toxins from smoke, ash, and firefighting chemicals; therefore, it is best to drain when possible. No one should ever swim in a pool in the immediate aftermath of a wildfire.
Keep in mind, wildfires can move fast and change course in seconds. Have more than one escape route planned ahead of time. It is best to stay out of the area.
Shock, floc, enzyme, phosphate removal, and algae prevention are all good remedial treatments once the wildfires are gone.
Check and inspect all equipment thoroughly during the cleanup process. Filters may need to be backwashed and cleaned frequently during this period.
Ensure pools equipped with firehose pumps also have hydrostatic relief valves to prevent them from lifting out of the ground due to being rapidly drained.
Be aware of erosion and flooding problems that may occur from damaged soil. Any vulnerable areas should be sand bagged in advance to ensure water flows to drains and/or culverts to prevent flooding.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement
1 year
Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
CookieLawInfoConsent
1 year
Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
PHPSESSID
session
This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
wordpress_test_cookie
session
This cookie is used to check if the cookies are enabled on the users' browser.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Cookie
Duration
Description
__cf_bm
30 minutes
This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga
2 years
The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat
1 minute
This cookie is installed by Google Universal Analytics to restrain request rate and thus limit the collection of data on high traffic sites.
_gat_UA-
1 minute
A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to.
_gid
1 day
Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Cookie
Duration
Description
ADV_u_id
3 months 8 days
Unique customer identifier used to track unique ad views and interactions with some ads.
IDE
1 year 24 days
Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile.
loc
never
AddThis sets this geolocation cookie to help understand the location of users who share the information.
test_cookie
15 minutes
The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Cookie
Duration
Description
pvc_visits[0]
299 years 9 months 18 days
This cookie is created by post-views-counter. This cookie is used to count the number of visits to a post. It also helps in preventing repeat views of a post by a visitor.