There is a lot more to a swimming pool than just being a good place for fun and exercise for the whole family. In addition to this, it acts as a magnet for a wide variety of organisms and substances that, if not managed properly, can pose a risk to human health.
The presence of high nitrate levels is just one of the many challenges that may confront a person who owns a pool. If the nitrate levels in a pool are not properly maintained, the water in the pool may become cloudy and green, and there is no simple solution to this problem.
But don’t worry, we are here to help you out in this situation. We will guide you in “removing nitrates from pool water”. Let’s dive into it.
What Are Nitrates in Pool Water?
Nitrates are another type of naturally occurring contaminant that can be found in swimming pools; they are comparable to phosphates. Nitrates may be very challenging to completely eradicate from a given environment.
When nitrate levels in a swimming pool get out of hand, the only way to get rid of them, as far as the experts are concerned, is to empty the pool completely and start over with clean water. Nitrate removal cannot be accomplished through the use of any chemical process.
What Causes Nitrates in Pool Water?
If you aren’t aware of the sources of nitrates in your pool water, you won’t be able to take any preventative measures to lower the levels of nitrates that are already there. Nitrates can come from a variety of different places, and your geographic location can also be a contributing factor.
Here are some of the most important things that can cause nitrates to get into your pool water:
Animals and Caged Companions
Another common source of nitrates in pool water is the presence of animals, both domesticated and wild. For instance, if you have a dog that likes to swim in your pool with you, the nitrates that are on the dog’s fur and paws can make their way into the pool.
Nitrates can come from a variety of sources, not just your household pets. This includes wild animals. If you have birds or ducks that swim in or land in your pool, the water could become contaminated with their waste.
Birds and Waterfowl
Birds and ducks in your pool can be incredibly annoying because they will always poop in it, making the water dirty.
Wells as Well as Septic Tanks
If your home is not connected to the municipal wastewater treatment system and you have a septic tank, there is a good chance that it contains nitrates. These nitrates can seep into the ground and eventually end up in your pool if you don’t take precautions.
If the water source you use to fill your pool is a well, then you should be especially concerned about the presence of nitrates in the water. Wells are known to contain high levels of nitrates.
Rainwater
There’s a good reason why you might have noticed or heard of people covering their pools just before it started to rain. If you cover your pool, you can reduce the risk of nitrates being carried in by the rainwater and contaminating your water supply. But, sadly, there are times when there is not much warning before the rain arrives.
As a result, the best way to prevent nitrates from the rain from getting into the water of your pool is to cover it immediately after use and keep it covered until the next time you use it.
Humans
The use of cosmetics and personal care items, in addition to perspiration, oils, and other waste products that our bodies produce, can contribute trace amounts of nitrates to your pool. Over time, these levels can rise, eventually reaching a point where there is enough food for algae to grow quickly.
Lawn Fertilizer
It is possible that the presence of nitrates in pool water was caused by the application of fertilizer to your lawn or other plants. Nitrates are plant nutrients that can contaminate your pool even if you do not use fertilizer. Nitrates come from animal waste. The use of fertilizer makes it more likely that these substances will be found in high amounts in the water.
Manure Runoff
Those who live in rural areas or who keep horses or cattle are at risk of having their drinking water tainted by manure. Most of the time, this happens after it rains and the water from the sewers gets into the pool.
Urea
According to research conducted at Cornell University, urea ((NH2)2CO can be converted to ammonium, which was discussed earlier, and ammonium can be converted into nitrate. To tell you the truth, paying attention to all of the various reactions and forms that nitrogen can take is beside the point here.
When we urinate in public swimming pools, we add to the nitrogen load that is already present in the pool. This nitrogen can take the form of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. Because of the fact that all of these things, including bacteria and algae, require micronutrients to survive, we do not want them present in our water supply.
Urea will still be a problem, however, because we all know that swimmers will continue to urinate in the pools they use. Because of this, nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, and other substances will also get into the water.
Also Read: Are You Worried? How To Lower Cyanuric Acid in Pool?
What Happens when Nitrates Are Present in Your Pool?
Nitrates are not directly harmful to you or the other people who are swimming in the pool. However, they do have an effect on the water. Nitrates are a key factor in the development of algae. In a short period of time, your pool will develop a green color, and algae will begin to grow on the walls of your pool.
The nitrate will compete with the chlorine that you put into the pool, which means that you will need to use more chlorine than you normally would in order to get rid of the problem. This will make it more difficult to clean up the algae. Doesn’t that sound like a headache to you?
How to Remove Nitrates from Pool Water?
If you are able to detect nitrates in pool water at an early stage, you will have a better chance of treating them effectively. However, if the nitrates have been present in your pool for a significant amount of time, to the point where the water has begun to turn green, you will have a more difficult time removing them.
The very first thing you need to do before beginning to treat your pool water for nitrates is to evaluate whether or not the water that is currently in the pool is even worth treating. It is possible to treat the water provided that it has not turned green and that the nitrate levels are not extremely high.
If you are able to determine what is causing the nitrates in pool water and take steps to eliminate them, you may be able to stop the water from becoming severely contaminated.
The next step in the process of treating the water in your pool is to drain some of the water. It is possible to remove enough nitrates from the water to make it safe to swim in again with only a partial draining of the body of water followed by the addition of fresh water.
When you’ve exhausted both possibilities and found that neither one will do the trick, you’ve reached the point where your only remaining choice is the absolute last one. At this point, the color of the water in the pool has typically changed to a shade of green, or the nitrate levels have reached an unsafe level. You will need to empty the swimming pool of all of its water and then completely refill it.
Also Read: White Flakes in Pool: How To Get Rid of It?
How Can I Stop Nitrates from Entering My Swimming Pool?
As you can see, avoiding nitrates is not a practical objective, but there are many things you can do to reduce their intake. Let’s discuss some beneficial pool procedures that can stop too many nitrates from entering your pool.
Keep Animals Away from The Pool
Dogs and ducks typically lead the attack on the pool using nitrogen. Dogs run around nitrogen-collecting plants. They also perspire a little bit around their non-furry areas.
Sucks also transport nitrogen, but the big issue is their feces. These animals deposit their nitrogen as they fly or jump into the pool. Since ducks defecate up to 96 times each day and have a very high nitrogen content, they are the number one opponent. We have a guide that explains how to keep ducks out of your pool if you need some assistance.
Take a Shower Before Entering the Pool
It goes beyond simple courtesy. Perspiration and filth are removed by showering, and a lot of the sweat contains nitrogen.
Avoid Peeing in The Pool
Pee is not only disgusting, but it also contains a lot of nitrogen. Up to 10% of that urine in a high-protein diet is only nitrogen. Plants will consume it and prosper. Make it plain to your less hygienic family members and friends that it is forbidden to urinate in the pool.
Potted Plants Should Not Be Near the Pool
Potted plants can cause issues for pool owners, even though they are attractive and won’t cause any harm. Nitrogen can escape from the pots through the pores at the bottom. As we just discussed, nitrogen is a nutrient for plants.
If you give your plants proper care, including watering and fertilizing, the nitrogen-rich fertilizer will leak out of the bottom holes and through the pot. Nitrogen that seeped onto the pool deck will mix with the water when it rains and splashes from the pool. Even though it could take some time, it will eventually happen.
Another issue that many pool owners deal with is worms, which can also come from potted plants. If you are currently dealing with that issue, you may read our article on how to keep worms out of your pool.
A Pool Cover Pump and A Pool Cover
Every post we publish seems to indicate that getting a pool cover will fix the issue. It won’t entirely solve the issue in this specific instance. However, it is most likely the biggest band-aid and the closest action to a viable remedy.
The cover will keep out rainfall, dogs, and ducks. You will probably need to install a pool cover pump if you want to keep the rains out. By doing this, the water won’t collect and finally flow into the pool through the pool cover.
You Can Perform a Nitrates Test
You can test to see how concentrated your pool’s nitrogen concentration is if you suspect you have a nitrate issue. You may buy affordable testing strips on Amazon that will inform you in a flash how much nitrogen is present in the pool.
Also Read: You’re Apprehensive? Should I Get the Snow Removed from My Pool Cover?
Conclusion
Nitrates are something that must be dealt with if you own a swimming pool. If you want to maintain a low nitrate count in your pool without having to empty it entirely, the best way to do so is to stop nitrates from accumulating in the pool in the first place. Nitrates in trace amounts are not a cause for alarm.
They are not a major cause for concern, despite the fact that they can be a nuisance at times. Nitrates won’t be much of a problem for you if you keep on top of the water quality and perform routine maintenance checks on your swimming pool on a regular basis.
In the end, if you like our guide “how to get rid of nitrates in water?”, please share it with your family and friends.
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