Dechlorinate Pool Water

If you are planning to discharge your pool water, you’ll need to properly dechlorinate the water. You can use the natural sunlight in your backyard to dechlorinate your pool, which is probably the easiest approach but will take a couple of weeks. If you need to get the job done a little faster, there are a variety of chemical solutions. Some chemical dechlorinators have a negative impact on fish and wildlife, so you may be interested in environmentally responsible products such as vitamin c based dechlorinators.

Steps

Using Sunlight

  1. Stop adding chlorine to your pool. Simply stop adding the chlorine tablets that you regularly put in your outdoor swimming pool. Exposure to sunlight will gradually dechlorinate the water. You’ll need to leave the pool uncovered for two weeks.[1]
    • If you only need to dechlorinate a bit of pool water to irrigate a tree or shrub, you can use a bucket. Scoop out a bucket of water and place it in a sunny spot. Leave it in the sun for a week and the chlorine should be evaporated.[2]
  2. Run the pool pump. Although you have stopped adding chlorine, you should continue to run the pump. By circulating the water in your pool, the pump will help ensure thorough dechlorination.[1]
  3. Use a DPD test to determine chlorine levels. After two weeks without adding any chlorine to your pool and with the pump running, you should test the chlorine levels.[1] The most accurate way of measuring chlorine concentrations is through a DPD (N-Diethylparaphenylenediamine) test, although test strips can also be used. You’ll want to use one of the DPD test kits to determine whether the chlorine levels are close to zero or at least at an acceptable level (<0.1 mg/L). Use one of the following DPD test kits:[3]
    • A comparator allows you to compare your sample to color standards. You put your sample in the slot and then compare the color to the standards on the side of the instrument.
    • A colorimeter uses white light to determine chlorine levels.
    • Test strips can also be used to determine chlorine levels.

Using Chemicals

  1. Purchase a dechlorination product. You can use dechlorination tablets or liquid to chemically dechlorinate your swimming pool, such as sodium thiosulphate. The most common chemical for dechlorination is sulfur dioxide, although carbon absorption, sodium metabisulfite and hydrogen peroxide are also used for this purpose. You should make sure the product you purchase from your swimming pool retailer states that it meets Environmental Protection Agency standards.[4]
  2. Try vitamin C based dechlorination tablets. You can use ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate, which are two forms of vitamin C, to dechlorinate water. Vitamin C does not remove oxygen from the water and is not toxic to aquatic life.[5] Whereas sulphur based products remove oxygen from water and are toxic to fish, Vitamin C based dechlorinators, like Vita-D-Chlor, are aligned with the EPA’s Clean Water Act. They are safe to handle and easy to dissolve.[6]
    • Vitamin C based dechlorinators are more expensive than sulphur based products.
  3. Use a carbon absorption filter for total dechlorination. If you are looking for the most thorough method of dechlorination, carbon absorption is the way to go. However, it is more expensive than some of the other methods, such as sulphur based dechlorination tablets.[4]
  4. Pour sodium thiosulfate into the pool. You can use an appropriate amount of sodium thiosulphate to dechlorinate your pool. Pour some warm water in a bucket. Add the required amount of sodium thiosulphate to the bucket. Pour the contents of the bucket into the pool.[7]
    • Use an online dechlorination calculator to determine how much sodium thiosulphate to use.
  5. Test the chlorine levels with a DPD test kit. You’ll need to get a DPD test kit, which should include some test tubes to obtain water samples. Reach into the pool to obtain a water sample from at least elbow depth. Add the recommended drops of DPD reactant to the tubes. Mix the solution in the tube by turning it upside down with the cap on. Finally, compare the color in the tube with the colors listed on the front of the test kit to determine the chlorine level.[8]

Warnings

  • Avoid adding chemicals to your pool less than two weeks before you close it.[1]
  • In the United States, it is against the law to discharge chlorinated water if the levels are above acceptible levels (<0.1 mg/L).

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://guelph.ca/living/environment/water/wastewater/safely-maintain-pool-spa-hot-tub/
  2. ↑ http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article2591601.html
  3. ↑ http://www.lamotte.com/en/blog/test-factors/72-measuring-chlorine
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/dechlorination.pdf
  5. ↑ https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/html/05231301/05231301.html
  6. ↑ http://www.vita-d-chlor.com/technical_prosandcons.asp
  7. ↑ https://swimmingpoolchemicals.co.uk/other-chemicals-dechlorinator-c-474_500_115.html
  8. ↑ http://sarasota.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/pools-and-spas/_documents/pools-how-to-use-your-test-kit.pdf
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