Winterizing Pools

Call to Residents: “Please Do Not Drain Your Pools!”

In the number-one “pool country,” there is significant potential for water conservation.(Bild: Markus Schütz)

The Upper Austrian municipality of Marchtrenk is urging its residents to leave the pool water in the pools over the winter. The goal is to prevent a looming water shortage next year. The municipality is also providing tips on how to keep the tens of thousands of liters of water clean so that people can swim in them again.  

“While the first rain showers have provided some relief, the groundwater situation remains critical. Therefore, we must find new ways to use the available water carefully,” reads a press release from the municipality of Marchtrenk. 

In this “Pool Capital,” there’s significant potential for water conservation.(Bild: Markus Schütz)

Problem Looms Next Year
The timing is no coincidence: “In the coming days and weeks, many people will be draining their pools again. That amounts to many millions of liters of water,” says Mayor Paul Mahr (SPÖ). The situation isn’t critical yet, but: “If winter and spring remain this dry, then we’ll have a problem next summer.”

Mahr’s request to the residents of Marchtrenk, therefore, is this: Please let your pool water sit over the winter instead of draining it completely and refilling it in early summer.

Here’s how it works
How exactly does this work? “A shock chlorination and adjusting the pH level will kill all germs before winter. Then lower the water level enough so that the inlet jets and skimmers remain ice-free,” advises Nicole Helperstorfer from the Brandmayr drugstore in Marchtrenk. Next, you need to drain the pipes, add a winter maintenance treatment, and cover the pool with a light-blocking tarp.

In the spring, after a rough cleaning and shock chlorination, you just need to readjust the pH level and let the filter pump run until the water is crystal clear again and ready for the first day of swimming.

The City Is Investing, Too
The municipality of Marchtrenk itself is also investing in water safety: Next year, several million euros are set to be allocated to the expansion of the public water supply.