Feces in Pool

[JPMorgan]

Just finished a day in the pool with lots of kids and noticed a small amount of fecal matter in the bottom of the pool at the end of the day. I tried to get it out, but it kind of broke apart as i tried to remove it. I have the pool cleaner running in the pool now and FC is at 5 ppm. Should I just continue to maintain the appropriate FC for my CYA level or is it important to shock the pool at this point. Again.... it was a very small amount.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Were they all your kids? If not, then raise your FC up to 10ppm with liquid chlorine and let it sit overnight with the filter running.

 

[TheDeuce]

Were they all your kids?

Does that make a difference?


m.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yes. When it’s just your family, then you have been exposed to every pathogen they are carrying due to proximity. When it’s people that you don’t live with, you open yourself up to new pathogens. And many bacteria and viruses inhabit the gut and digestive track that are then shed in our feces. COVID-19 is a perfect example of this. It has been determined that it sheds in feces and can easily spread in that fashion. While chlorine does kill it, it is unknown at this time how long it can survive in mildly chlorinated pool water.

 

[JPMorgan]

Two more questions..... if my CYA is at 40, then 10 ppm will not reach shock level per the Chlorine/ CYA Chart (which is 16 for CYA of 40 ppm). Does it matter that I'm not going to shock level? Also, is it okay to leave the cleaner in the pool while raising the chlorine to 10 ppm (or higher)?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Cleaner is fine. If it makes you feel better, then do shock level. Even halfway to shock level is a significant amount of active chlorine (hypochlorous acid) over swimming normal levels. The 40% FC/CYA was chosen to fix algae problems which require more chlorine than bacteria and viruses.

 

[JPMorgan]

Thank you.