COVID-19 Public Pool Closure Guidance

With the rapidly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, we at Horizon Commercial Pools are continuing to monitor developments and the guidance of many state and local public health authorities, as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO). 

As a response to COVID-19, many states and local governments have issued orders to close a wide range of public spaces. If you have been instructed to close your aquatic facilities and pools to bathers you are probably wondering what to do with the pool during the closure. We have received a ton of questions regarding this and would like to provide some guidance. A very important clarification is that a pool closure does not necessarily mean shutting down filtration and draining. It simply means you cannot allow bathers in the pool or pool areas. In most cases it is much safer and more cost effective to keep the pool running and balanced to prevent damage to the pool/equipment, and to prevent biofilm, mold, algae or other outbreaks.

Most Standard Pool & Large Bodies of Water:

• Do NOT drain the pool, especially in areas of high water table. Contact your builder or supplier for further guidance.
• Keep water circulating! If pumps are equipped with Variable Speed Drives, the speed can be turned down significantly, but it is important to keep circulating and filter the water.
• Heaters can be turned off or setpoint lowered.
• Keep water balanced and chlorinated! Chlorine setpoints can be reduced to minimal (1-3 PPM). This is key to prevent biofilm, mold and algae from forming.
• Keep up on basic maintenance and repairs to prevent more expensive damage or issues.

Spas, Kiddy Pools & Very Small Bodies of Water:

• Small, shallow bodies of water can typically be safely drained. All plumbing lines, pumps and especially filters should be drained of water to prevent biofilm and mold growth.
• If not draining, follow same recommendations as pools to keep circulating, filtering and chemically treated.

We are all hoping these closures are very temporary, but in the event that they last into the normal outdoor pool season we will send further guidance to care for outdoor bodies of water. In any case, it is important that you plan to start up these pools and keep them clean and treated similar to the guidance above and for the same reasons.

For additional information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) relating to public swimming pools, please visit our website, which has links to CDC and other guidance to dealing with this outbreak. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions or any concerns.

Be Safe and Stay Healthy!