HOA Pool Nightmare - Help!

[HOAPoolNightmare]

Hello, everyone. I am hoping for some advice over how to fix the pool that the HOA has been completely neglecting.

I’ll attach some pictures to show what we’re dealing with.

I need to figure out step by step instructions on how to solve this problem.

The HOA has been doing nothing but dropping some chlorine tabs in the baskets and maybe shocking once a week.

I’m assuming this will be a professional job, and that’s totally fine. I just need to know what to tell the HOA to have done because they are currently completely neglecting things.

 

[Texas Splash]

Tabs should never go in the skimmer. They are too acidic for that spot, and as you can tell from the color view they appear to have driven the pH way too low. Often times weekly pool services operate on a "dump & run" philosophy, so that's about all they do along with perhaps adding some liquid chlorine and/or acid.

Problem is that a community pool may fall under different (mandated) guidelines for pool care. So before you invest too much time into trying to help your HOA, you might ask your local authorities about commercial pool care rules and who can maintain or advise. While I have no doubt you could help your community with the right test kit, you need to know what you're up against.

 

[skimmerswimmer]

I don't see how a HOA would be subject to commercial pool operating guidelines, but I suppose it is possible. First step is to see what the CYA is, then you'd have to educate them on the FC/CYA ratio. If they don't listen, just walk away...and keep your family out of that pool.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It’s not your pool to fix and you will assume great liability if you mess around with it and someone gets hurt. DON’T TOUCH THAT POOL.

You are, at best, only a partial owner of the common area. You need to work through your HOA board to get them to hire a pool care company.

If the Board refuses to act then the next step is to file a complaint with your county health department and get them to send someone out. It is regulated as a public/commercial pool and so the county HD has jurisdiction. If your HOA can not provide records of care, the HD will shut it down and issue an order to the HOA to get the pool cared for. That is the proper and legal way to do things.

 

[HOAPoolNightmare]

It’s not your pool to fix and you will assume great liability if you mess around with it and someone gets hurt. DON’T TOUCH THAT POOL.

You are, at best, only a partial owner of the common area. You need to work through your HOA board to get them to hire a pool care company.

If the Board refuses to act then the next step is to file a complaint with your county health department and get them to send someone out. It is regulated as a public/commercial pool and so the county HD has jurisdiction. If your HOA can not provide records of care, the HD will shut it down and issue an order to the HOA to get the pool cared for. That is the proper and legal way to do things.

Oh I don’t intend to do anything myself. I just want to know what needs to be done so I can bring that to the HOA.
Right now I tell them that the chemicals are badly out of whack and there is algae everywhere and they just shrug and say “we send someone out there twice a week “

 

[duade]

I don't see how a HOA would be subject to commercial pool operating guidelines, but I suppose it is possible. First step is to see what the CYA is, then you'd have to educate them on the FC/CYA ratio. If they don't listen, just walk away...and keep your family out of that pool.

Where I reside, the County does license and inspect HOA pools

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The best you can do is document your findings, with test results, and forward them to the Board. It is the Board’s responsibility to make sure the service company is doing its job. Visible algae is a sign of poor sanitation which means there’s likely bacteria in the water as well. If the pool has visible algae and low sanitizer levels, then it is not safe to swim in, period. If you can’t get them to act within a reasonable time frame, then you inform them that your next phone call, with evidence of neglect, will be to the county health department.

 

[HOAPoolNightmare]

Where I reside, the County does license and inspect HOA pools

I’m in Louisiana. I’m not sure who has authority over them here.

The best you can do is document your findings, with test results, and forward them to the Board. It is the Board’s responsibility to make sure the service company is doing its job. Visible algae is a sign of poor sanitation which means there’s likely bacteria in the water as well. If the pool has visible algae and low sanitizer levels, then it is not safe to swim in, period. If you can’t get them to act within a reasonable time frame, then you inform them that your next phone call, with evidence of neglect, will be to the county health department.

Thanks! It has been an incredibly frustrating summer so far. I’ve been telling them about the situation for the past month with no response other than to tell me they have a pool cleaner coming out regularly.

I feel a bit like Jerry Seinfeld. Anyone can *come* to the pool, the key is to *clean* the pool. That’s really the important part.

So it really sounds like threatening the health department is the next step I need to take. What health issues can be caused with this level of mold/algae?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It’s not so much about what health effects you’d get. It’s that public pools in most areas have to keep detailed records of pool care and pools must be shutdown when there are issues like algae. If the HD has jurisdiction, then they can come and inspect and potentially force the HOA to shut it down until it’s cleaned up with threat of fines for inaction. No HOA wants that headache. I don’t know how public/HOA pools are treated in your jurisdiction. You’d have to look into your counties health dept and maybe make a phone call. If HOA’s are unregulated in your area, then it’s going to be a tougher fight to get them to act.

 

[HOAPoolNightmare]

It’s not so much about what health effects you’d get. It’s that public pools in most areas have to keep detailed records of pool care and pools must be shutdown when there are issues like algae. If the HD has jurisdiction, then they can come and inspect and potentially force the HOA to shut it down until it’s cleaned up with threat of fines for inaction. No HOA wants that headache. I don’t know how public/HOA pools are treated in your jurisdiction. You’d have to look into your counties health dept and maybe make a phone call. If HOA’s are unregulated in your area, then it’s going to be a tougher fight to get them to act.

Thanks so much. I will call the HD for further advice. I fear the HOA might be the final authority since Louisiana is so anti-regulation, but it’s definitely worth a shot.

I see kids/families swimming at that pool