You’ll be perfecting your cannonball in no time
You've got your dream pool installed in the backyard, with an updated deck and fresh landscaping to boot. Now you just need the crucial finishing touch—pool water. When it comes to pool water delivery, you can choose between a pool filling service or your handy hose. Read on to learn about how to fill a pool with water, including what the different methods cost and how to calculate the amount of water you'll need.
Pools will require different amounts of water based on their size and shape. A DIY above ground pool from the store should tell you how much water it holds on the package or owner’s manual, but if you no longer have the information or have a custom inground pool, you can also calculate the amount of water you need using a few simple formulas.
To find out how much water you’ll need for a round pool, use the following formula after measuring from one side of the pool coping to the other:
Diameter Length (A) x Diameter Length (A) x Average Depth x 5.9 = Total Water Volume
Be sure to use the average depth of the pool for pools with shallow and deep ends.
For an oval pool, use the following formula (using average total depth for pools with varying depths):
Length (A) x Width (B) x Average Depth x 5.9 = Total Water Volume
You can use the following formula to determine the water volume of a rectangular pool:
Length (A) x Width (B) x Average Depth x 7.5 = Total Water Volume
There are a few different ways to fill up your swimming pool, and your choice will depend mostly on where you live, the size of your pool, and how much you can afford to spend on the cost to fill a pool.
If your property gets water from the city, you can fill up your pool with the garden hose. Just prepare for a hefty water bill and several days of time spent filling the pool. City water costs about $0.004 per gallon on average, so your bill will cost $60 to $120 if you fill a 15,000- to 30,000-gallon swimming pool with city water from your garden hose.
While some municipalities may offer pool credits once per year to refill a pool or reduced rates for filling a pool, other cities, especially in drought-stricken areas like California or Nevada, may have fines or higher charges for using city water to fill a swimming pool.
For people who have well water to supply their property, using this source of water can be a budget-friendly option for filling a swimming pool, depending on its size. Like with city water, well water is best suited for filling kiddie pools or small pools, since your well could be at risk of running dry while trying to fill a larger pool.
With well water, you won’t need to pay for water, but you will need to pay for the electricity to power the pump that moves the water from underground to the hose to the pool. It’s usually more affordable than paying for city water, though. Keep in mind that well water can sometimes be more challenging to balance, especially when it comes to pH.
After you install your pool or de-winterize it, your family is probably excited to jump in. When you don't want to wait several days or have to deal with more intensive balancing with city or well water, you can hire a pool water delivery service to truck in water to your pool.
While this option is more expensive, at about $1,250 to $1,900 for a 30,000-gallon pool, it is quick. In terms of effort, it typically only requires you to call and make an appointment for the pool water delivery.
If you want to reduce pool water delivery costs to save up more money for a diving board or extra pool floats, there are some tips and tricks to spending less on water. Here are four ways to decrease water delivery costs upfront and over time.
Maybe you don’t have enough time to fill a pool with city water, or you don’t want your well to run dry while filling the pool. You can save money by having a lower amount of water delivered by a water service, then mix it with city or well water for a lower overall cost.
To get the best value, it’s a good idea to get quotes from at least three swimming pool companies for pool water delivery. Some companies may offer off-season deals, returning customer discounts, first-time service discounts, or other perks. You may also want to choose a company with pretreated water to save money on chemicals to treat the water yourself.
Pools naturally evaporate over time. In peak summertime, pools can lose about 1/4 inch of water per day. While you can’t completely prevent pool water evaporation, you can slow it down with a pool cover. Place the pool cover over the pool while it isn’t in use to help reduce evaporation and extend the amount of time between water refills.
A leaking pool will not only have you refilling the pool more frequently, these leaks can also lead to extensive water damage around your yard and home, and they can damage your pool’s structure as well, potentially leading to costly repairs. Check for signs of pool problems, like above-normal water loss or visible cracks or tears in the concrete, tile, or vinyl liner.
If you suspect or identify a pool leak, hire a swimming pool company near you to make the necessary repairs so that you can get back to floating and relaxing as soon as possible. Pool repairs cost an average of $650 but are well worth it for a swimmable summer.
Whether you bust out the hose and fill your pool yourself or call a delivery company to do it comes down to a few key factors, including your location and how quickly you need the pool to be ready. Consider the following before deciding:
Your pool size. Small pools are often suitable for DIY filling, but filling a large pool yourself will take days or even weeks. You may incur extra fees if you fill a large pool with city water, and if you have well water, it could put undue pressure on your well pump.
The climate in your area. If you live in a dry climate that is prone to droughts, it’s probably best to hire a professional to deliver pool water. You’ll put less strain on the environment and could avoid hefty fines for using large amounts of water.
How long you’re willing to wait. If you’re not in a rush to start swimming, filling your pool yourself might be a more affordable option. But if you already have your first pool party on the books, hire a professional for expediency. Some will even deliver treated water to get your pool ready for action immediately.
Paige Bennett contributed to this piece.
Generally speaking, you should expect to wait 24 to 48 hours after filling a pool before you use it. However, the actual timeline depends on a few factors. Most importantly, you need to shock the water with chlorine or an alternative to swimming pool chlorine and let the concentration come down to a safe level before using the pool. Additionally, most water sources will be cold, and it can take days before the sun or your pool heater warms your water to a comfortable temperature. Alternatively, getting water professionally delivered could have you swimming in just a few hours.
Yes, you will usually need to shock your pool with high levels of chlorine or bromine when you first fill it to kill off any bacteria and pathogens. You’ll then need to wait for the chlorine concentration to come back down to a safe level before swimming. After that, you can test and maintain the chlorine and other levels as normal. The only exception to this is if you get pool water delivered by a professional. In that case, the water might come pre-treated, so you might not need to shock it.
