DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, PARKS AND WATER SECURITY
Swimming Pools & Water Use
On average, homes with swimming pools use twice as much water than
homes without pools.
In the Territory swimming pools and spas are a Pool Covers
common site in most backyards.This factsheet
provides advice on ways to minimise water use for Pool covers work by insulating the pool water from
pools and spas. wind and heat evaporation. Cover the pool in winter
and non-swimming periods and you will have lower
maintenance costs and water loss all year around.
Evaporation
As we know from boiling water and seeing it turn
into steam, a simple definition of evaporation is the
process whereby liquid water becomes a gas and
dissipates as the water temperature is increased.
During summer, evaporation rates increase and the
water level in the pool begins to drop rapidly.
In a single day up to 300 litres of pool water can
evaporate under the harsh sun, which is about 30
buckets. Over the year almost the entire pool volume
will evaporate away if not topped up. Environmental
conditions such as humidity, wind, over night air
temperatures and higher pool water temperature, all
affect the rate of evaporation. The size of the pool is
also a factor: bigger pool = more water loss. Using a pool cover reduces evaporation by 90 to
95%. Pool blankets and ‘liquid’ pool covers are not
as effective but do still reduce evaporation rates by
Topping Up 40+%. The added benefits of covering the pool when
not in use are:
Do you know how much water flows from your
backyard hose per minute? The average supply is • Reducing the cleaning time by preventing debris
around 17 litres a minute. Topping up the pool every from falling on the pool surface; and
day or second day in summer can work out to a lot • Reducing the amount of chemicals needed to
of water: 17 litres x 30 minutes x 30 days = 15,300 keep the pool clean.
litres a month! Combine this top-up with the water
lost through evaporation (approx. 9000l/month) and
your pool’s water use could be up to 24 000 litres per
month.
Check for leaks – increased water loss or the need
for more chemicals are clues to unseen leaks.
www.nt.gov.au/water
Page 2
Backwash, Cleaning and Draining: Pool maintenance Useful References:
must be done regularly to make sure that the water is
safe to swim in, however there are ways to minimise http://www.recreonics.com/swimming_pool_energy_
the amount of water needed to clean the filters. conservation. htm
• Sand filters are common and require backwashing http://www.savewater.com.au/how-to-save-water/
once every 4-6 weeks. Only backwash until the in-the-home/ pools-and-spas
glass goes clear - backwashing for longer periods Greenhouse Friendly Action in Central Australia,
will waste excessive amounts of water. Consider DesertSMART COOLmob, (2nd edition)
implementing a backwash minimisation system.
• Other filters can be manually cleaned. Cartridge
filters are maintained by rinsing out and soaking
in solution if needed and only need to be replaced
every two to three years.
Remember: Proper chemical balancing can prevent and
cure most water clarity problems and pools can often
go 10 or more years without draining and refilling.
• Waterwise Pool Rules: No bombing or excessive
splashing. Drip dry on the top step so the water
goes back into the pool;
• Ask pool users to top it up with a bucket so they are
aware of the amount of water being used;
• Only run pool fountains and waterfalls when you’re
entertaining, as they increase evaporation;
• Avoid overfilling the pool: the water level should be
about half way up the skimmer box opening for the
filter to function properly;
• Think about lowering the water level to reduce
losses from splashing; and
• Plant or install windbreaks around the pool as even
light winds will increase evaporation rates.
• Shade pools and protect from wind to reduce
evaporation; and
• Minimise backwash times. Try collecting backwash
water in a tank, allow dirt to settle and siphon clear
water back into the swimming pool.
For more information contact Water Resources:
Darwin: 08 8999 4455
Katherine: 08 8973 8834
Alice Springs: 08 8951 9215
E: waterresources@nt.gov.au
www.nt.gov.au/water
