When your pool water lacks clarity it can appear cloudy. It almost looks milky. There are quite a few factors that can cause your pool water to look cloudy; some are physical, some are chemical related, and some are environmental.
Physical causes of cloudy water:
- A small pump resulting in low water circulation
- A large pump that leads to high flow through the filter
- Not enough filtering time each day
- Spring weather
- Low chlorine levels
- Poor vacuuming
- Solid lumps of sand clogging up sand filters
Chemical causes of cloudy water:
- Too high
- pH and total alkalinity
- High levels of calcium hardness
Environmental causes of cloudy water:
- Bird or duck droppings
- Fallen leaves
- Pollen
- Excessive dust or dirt
- Pools near construction site
- Very high total alkalinity
There are numerous solutions to clear up cloudy water, depending on the source of the issue. You could try increasing water circulation and filtration, clean your pool more regularly, vacuum up debris, etc. Try a water clarifier to capture water borne particles to be vacuumed or filtered up. Your pool may benefit from a chlorine shock.