Installer overfilled pool

[viajoburg1]

Hi all,

I have a vacant block I'm about to start a house build on in the coming weeks. Yesterday the pool was installed in what will be the backyard.
For some reason the pool installers left the hose running overnight to fill up the pool (I guess it was unattended for between 12-24 hours depending on what time they left yesterday).

I went to the block today to see how it all looked, saw the hose still running - the water was overflowing over the sides into the sand and dirt around it - so I turned it off.

I imagine hundreds or thousands of litres of water has just been wasted, flowing into the soil around the pool.

Just wondering if this is something I should be concerned about?
Both for the pool and the future site of the house (about 3 metres away from the pool).

Thank you

 

[kimkats]

What kind of pool? What is around the pool? Do you have any decking yet? Is the equipment running yet?

 

[viajoburg1]

Thanks for your reply. It's a fibreglass pool, roughly 5m x 2.5m
Right now it's just a vacant block of land with a pool at the back, so the pool is just surrounded by sand/soil.
There's no decking/equipment/etc yet as the house construction has yet to start (I believe the builders want to start earthworks in the next few days and start laying the slab in a week or so).

 

[kimkats]

With no decking or such around the pool things should be fine. In fact even better as that overflow will help compact the dirt around the pool if they did not do a very good job after doing the back fill. You might end up needed some more dirt to build it back up a bit but you should be fine in the long run.

So now comes the big question-How are you going to maintain the pool? You need the equipment up and running so you can add chlorine to keep the green monster away aka algae.

 

[viajoburg1]

With no decking or such around the pool things should be fine. In fact even better as that overflow will help compact the dirt around the pool if they did not do a very good job after doing the back fill. You might end up needed some more dirt to build it back up a bit but you should be fine in the long run.

Thanks for your reply, that re-assures me that you think it's actually a good thing as it will help compact the dirt.
When I mentioned what happened to the pool company they said something similar - but I wasn't sure if they were just saying it's fine to cover their Rear, so I'm relieved to hear you say it too!

Do you think there will be any impact to the construction of the house due to so much water having flowed into the soil? Or do you think given the slab for the house will be over 3 metres away (at its closest point) it's a non-issue? The pool company seemed unconcerned, that when it overflowed it would just go straight down the side of the pool down into the ground and not out towards where the house location will be.

So now comes the big question-How are you going to maintain the pool? You need the equipment up and running so you can add chlorine to keep the green monster away aka algae.

I asked the pool company what I should do and they said just make sure the pool is close to topped up for the duration of the house build (next 6 months or so). They said it'll be filthy because the place will be a construction site, but they'll clean it and make sure it's in good condition before final handover to me.

I was told to put the pool in first because it's a pretty narrow block of land (10m) and it would have been much harder to excavate and drop the pool in after the house is built.

 

[kimkats]

The water is a non-issue for the house since it just happened. It will drain into ground just like rain will. No worries there.

Pool-Ask them what they will be doing to keep the water from going green with algae? If it gets filled with algae AND it is allowed to stay that way it could stain your brand new pool

I have some ideas but want to know what they say before I suggest them.

 

[viajoburg1]

Okay thanks for letting me know about that, I will ask them tomorrow morning (it's night time here now) what they will be doing to stop algae.

For now the pool has been covered with planks and boards to keep it protected from objects from the building site and stop anyone falling in.
Are there any other things you think I should be asking them now seeing the pool will be laying idle until early next year?

 

[kimkats]

They have to find a way to circulate the water after they add some chlorine to it each and EVERY day. They should also add some CYA. Here is a link to what it is: ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry - Trouble Free Pool It is like "sunscreen" for the FC (see link for what that is) so the sun does not deplete it all the minute it hits it.

 

[viajoburg1]

This was their reply when I asked about the algae:

The main thing is to ensure that the water level is kept topped up and to try to keep as much building matter out of the pool as possible.
We wouldn’t recommend adding any chemicals to the water, as there is no circulation of the water and this can cause more harm than good.
I can see you have plank and board on the pool which will assist greatly in keeping any building material out. The pool will be fine as long as the water level is maintained.

 

[kimkats]

sigh..................it is going to be a green swamp...............he is right in one thing-you should not add chemicals to water that you cannot mix in. With wood being on top of the pool and no equipment to move the water there will be not way to mix the water and chemicals.

I would save the above info from him so when it comes time to finish the pool HE is on the hook for the money, time, effort to get the water clear and the side clean.

 

[red-beard]

When will construction power be available at the site? You could get a submersible pump & hose for recirculation. It won't filter but it would keep the water moving and allow the use of Chlorine and Chlorine Stabilizer (CYA). In addition to the planks, I would also install a large tarp over the pool.

If you want to get fancy, you can build a cheap sand filter with PVC pipe, a 40 liter bucket with lid and pool sand.

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