Want to have nice landscaping around your pool but worried about a mess in your pool? Pick plants that do not litter from this convenient list. Avoid plants with seed pods or small leaflets. View pool friendly plants by clicking here.

A great way to keep your pool water clean is to vacuum your pool regularly to avoid large solids.

A way to keep your pool water clean is to clean your filters, but only as needed. You may flush filters manually with a hose, use a backwash flow, or replace cartridges. Send water from backwashing (reversing water flow through filters to flush them clean) to the sewer clean-outs in your yard or you can even use it on landscaping in your yard.

Interested in using your pool backwash water for your landscaping? Be aware that pool water contains more salt and chlorine than tap water. 

Bermuda grass and Oleanders can be watered with this water without many issues, but avoid using this water on citrus, hibiscus, or other salt-sensitive plants.

Also, avoid spraying the water directly onto leaves or watering the same area repeatedly.

Do you need to drain and refill your pool? Check out this link that provides tips on how to drain your pool using the sewer clean-out and how long it may take to refill a pool.

1. 1. How to Drain and Refill a Residential Pool from City of Casa Grande

No longer using your pool and tired of paying extra on your water bill? Consider removing or filling your pool to free up space to enjoy for other purposes instead. Draining and filling a pool can save thousands of gallons of water a year. For more information and resources on this, visit: https://poolremovalhelp.org/

The most common leak in a pool is the auto-fill valve malfunction. Your pool level should remain constant and if it appears even higher than normal there may be an issue. Take these steps to check your autofill float valve:

1. 1. Open the box containing your auto-fill valve and listen for running water or look for swirling water. 
   2. If your pool level is high and the valve is still running, it is broken or needs to be adjusted.
   3. Shut off the valve until you are able to fix the autofill valve. The shutoff is usually on the side or back of your house, often near a hose bib.

Shade your pool to reduce evaporation. Plant trees or build structures to keep the hot afternoon sun off the pool.

Use a liquid pool cover or a pool blanket during seasons when you use the pool less often. Water can still evaporate on a warm January or February afternoons here. A pool blanket can also help to extend the pool season without using a heater.

Keep chemicals in balance to help minimize the need to backwash.

Use cartridge filters or hose down filters near landscaping instead of using automatic backwash. Every backwash cycle uses 250 – 1000 gallons of water.

Check your pool for cracks or issues in the recirculating system. Use the bucket test method to see if water is being lost somewhere in your pool system!

Run circulating pumps at night when power demand is lowest.

Did you know that an estimated 20% of pools in Arizona have leaks? Visit the Water Use It Wisely website to learn about such common signs of leaks in your pool as higher water bills, chemical imbalances, wet spots, and cracked or falling tiles.