New Pool New Water idiot in charge???

[larry2338]

Sounds like you're on the right track given your circumstances. If you're able to obtain chlorine, pH, alkalinity and hardness levels for your city water, you'll have enough to get by for a while. You can use the calculator to bring things in line initially. I think the one thing you'll have to deal with is getting a proper amount of CYA dissolved in the pool water fairly quickly to begin holding your chlorine level where you want it. For the first week or so, I think I would add bleach every day to make up for what is getting used up but how much you might need to add is open to question. Test strips would be better than nothing until you can obtain a better test kit. Couple of things, though. Is your pool builder really not responsible for the initial treatment and balancing of your water? Also, I guess I've not run across a builder who didn't include or have available a simple test kit.

One other thought: Suppose you could talk a friendly technician at the water utility to test your water for you a couple of times until you get a test kit? Worth a try.