Intek 15' x 48" - water is clear, but pool liner now looks greenish instead of blue

[KevinD]

Hi Janet,

Per your request, I measured the chlorine level again this morning. It measured at 10ppm (20 drops in the 10mL sample). Please note that I have not added any new bleach into the pool water since shocking it on Sunday night.

Kevin

[Watermom]

I don't think it is algae. Doing the overnight test pretty much confirmed that. Looks like you have some metal in there. Kind of odd with city water. I've asked Ben or Marie (our metals guru) to take a look at your thread.

[mbar]

When you drain or lower your water level is there a change in the color of the liner or bucket? If not, then the color is in the water. Do you have copper pipes? It seems to me that the water is tinted when it comes out of your spigots, the slight greenish tint sounds like it may have some copper in it. You can find out if there is copper in your township water. If the water is tinted, I don't think it will be a problem. Do you know if anyone else in your area has the same problem? This is a tricky one since it is the same color in the bucket with your fill water. Please post and let me know,

Marie

[PoolDoc]

I have seen green water from organically chelated iron -- that is, iron that was eroded from old iron or steel pipes by bacterial growth. These chelants (sideraphores) are apparently much stronger than anything you can buy commercially, and chlorine stable as well.

Your city is certainly old enough to have areas that will experience this problem, but you'd have to call your water company. You could also ask, in the same call, if they are adding anything to the water that would give it a greenish tint.

If you would, add another dose of bleach to both buckets. I'd assumed that the dose given was enough to break any chelant, but now I'm not so sure. I can't find anything on the oxidative destruction of sideraphores, and I don't understand the chemistry well enough to have any sort of educated intuition about it.

In the pool where I experienced this most notably, it would take up to 3 weeks for the greenish color of chelated iron to disappear.

[KevinD]

Hi,

I just checked both buckets again after the second 24 hour period (total 48 hour so far). Listed below are is the info for each sample - no changes in status of water color, clarity and sediment, still the same:

Pool Water:
clarity = clear
color = very light green tint
sediment = noticed 4-5 very small black specs, size of sand grain (not sure if these are new)

Hose/Source Water:
clarity = clear
color = very light green tint
sediment = noticed 4-5 very small black specs, size of sand grain (not sure if these are new) as well as one larger black clump, maybe size of pencil eraser. I do not remember seeing this before...

I also measured the chlorine levels in both buckets, too. Interestingly (to me at least) was the chlorine levels in the hose water is higher than that from the pool sample. The pool water sample measured 22ppm CL while the hose water measured 28ppm CL. Both samples has 1/2 cup of bleach added to them 48 hours ago, but the pool water has previously been shocked, too (so it was starting with an already high CL level). Does this make sense? The pool water also has additional pH and CYA modifications which had not been done to the hose water.

Is it still worth me adding another does of 1/2 cup bleach to each bucket per Ben's recommendation? I imagine this would put the CL levels ridiculously high (will use up most of my reagent to measure CL levels ;-) ).

Ben - please let me know if think I should still add another 1/2 cup bleach to each bucket.

Marie - the water pipes in my house are copper. For reference, my house was built in the early 60's.

As long as the greenish water is "safe" for my kids, which I assume is the case, I am fine with it. It is still very clear, just has a greenish tint to it. If there was a way to clear this up, I am open to it, but I do not want to have to do something too drastic if the water is fine with the slight greenish tint. Doe the Taylor kit have the ability to measure for copper or iron in water? I have not read through the guide that came with it, so I am not sure of all of the tests available in this kit.

I will also try to call my town hall to see if they have any information about the green tint to the water. If I learn anything, I will report back. Last week I just received our town's annual report on water quality, the values tested and provided in the report are lead, barium, mono-chloramine, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, perchlorate, total trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids-5. Are any of these helpful?

Thanks again for all of your help.

Kevin