okay, thanks for the clarification.

I've tested the fill water and pool water with my Taylor K2006 kit and the pH is at least 8.0 (kit doesn't register any higher, but my pinch-a-penny kit went to 8.2). I have only put bleach in the water. Do I skip the borax and put in muriatic acid? I don't understand why the pH needs to be lower than our drinking water.