Total Alkalinity and Adjusted Total Alkalinity

[waterbear]

When you add CYA (stabilizer) to a pool it forms a secondary buffer system of cyanuric acid/cyanurates in the water. This will test as part of the Total Alkalinity (cabonic acid/bicarbonate/carbonate buffer system) on the test but is not really part of it. A mathematical correction is applied determined by the pH and CYA level at the time of the test and then subtracted from the TA to get the ajusted TA. The jury is still out on the value of this correction although Taylor Technologies (manufacturer of one of the better lines of water testing kits) does endorse it. IF the pH is 7.4 then this correction is approx. 1/3 the CYA level.