Phosphate removal is the key to keeping swimming pools algae free, maintaining quality water and allowing other chemicals to work at their most effective level.
Free phosphate is a key micro-nutrient that enables algae to thrive in a swimming pool
In the UK, mains tap water is one of the significant contributing factors to increased levels of phosphate. Many water authorities now introduce free orthophosphate into water supplies to control scaling and corrosion in metal pipe work.
There is also evidence that, after decades of extensive agriculture, some fertilisers have found their way into the water table, also adding to phosphate levels.
Bathers too introduce phosphates through urine, body fat, sweat and other waste.
Quick fixes of ‘shock dosing’ will remove the symptoms by eliminating the algae but will not solve the problem as it will not reduce the amount of phosphate in the pool water.
Hence, when chlorine concentration drops back to normal, the conditions which allowed the algae to grow before “shock dosing” are still there and the algae grows, and so the vicious cycle continues.
Because algae needs phosphate to live, the algae itself will be heavy in phosphate. Essentially this means when algae are killed they will release back into the water a proportion of phosphate, thus you now enter the vicious circle.
Preventing algae from regrowing enough to become a headache requires that either the chlorine concentration is kept at higher levels along with a quality algaecide or that the conditions in the water are changed to be less favourable to algae growth.
For the swimming pool owner, the removal of phosphate is imperative in order to maintain good water quality.
Testing phosphate levels and adding a phosphate remover or starver is the only way to ensure crystal clear pool water.
