Is it a good idea to drink pool water in an emergency and how to make it operational again

You might be shocked – go ahead and open Google Earth or something similar like mapy.cz and zoom in on your surroundings. You might be surprised at how many swimming pools are around you. People in city centers might not be so lucky, but villages and the suburbs will be a different story.

Even if you’re on vacation, it’s not a bad idea. Take the USA, for example. According to the local organization, National Swimming Pool Foundation, there are about 10 million pools. Of these, 6 million are in-ground and 4 million are above ground.

According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 105 million households in the USA. And out of these, approximately every tenth household has a pool. The average in-ground pool size is approximately 88,000 liters. The average above-ground pool volume is 44,000 liters.

Using your (or another nearby) pool as an emergency water source has its charm, especially since few of us have thousands of liters of emergency drinking water at home. However, to implement this emergency plan, you will absolutely need the knowledge on how to clean it and keep it that way.

Although in the Czech Republic we don't have such exemplary sizes, the randomness of coverage and statistics indicate that our network will be at least similar.

How much water is in the USA in pools?

The numbers say there's about 700 billion liters of water in USA pools alone. That's about 6,600 liters per household. For a household to survive comfortably, about 20 liters of water per day throughout the year is needed.

Relying on pool water in case of an emergency has its charm but also numerous pitfalls: for example, city dwellers might not find many. They are also more concentrated in warmer areas and in places where people can afford them. Additionally, one cannot assume that this water has been treated to be suitable for drinking.

But as you can see, it's an obvious and clear backup water source in many locations, enough to keep the community going without municipal pump water in case of a failure.

Is the danger of drinking pool water in an emergency exaggerated?

Drinking pool water in case of water shortages can be potentially safe, but it certainly is not recommended for everyone.

The fact is, most of these pools are properly managed and cleaned, so technically this water should be drinkable. Let's take an example from abroad:

“The dangers of drinking water are exaggerated in the media. I have had my own in-ground pool for over 40 years, and I work as an engineer dealing with ultra-pure water production for semiconductors. I got my current pool with a capacity of 52,800 liters four years ago and still have no problems with it. I keep the chlorine level at about 3 ppm and the pH at 7.4 (local water has a pH of 7.8) with a large filter taking care of the rest. I never added stabilizers, salt, or biocides. The only thing that might cause some consideration is that with evaporation, the mineral content increases. Personally, I would drink this water as it is in an emergency. And I have done it unintentionally for years without negative effects. If the pool doesn't have a circulation system, degradation of the water will speed up without some action by the drinker, adding chlorine, and regular manual stirring. It’s also a good idea to cover it. But today, there are other options – one can use a drinking straw like those offered by Sawyer or other numerous water filters on the market to remove bacteria and other threats from the water.”

If a person has access to another water source, it's certainly better to prioritize that, but in an emergency, everything suggests that if you take care of the pool, it is and will remain drinkable. So definitely don't write off your home pool for this purpose.

What to watch out for when considering drinking pool water in an emergency?

Cover for pool / Tarp

Hot and sunny conditions degrade the chlorine level in the water faster. If you just let it sit and don’t add more chlorine, it will get algae.

Water degradation will be minimized entirely if the water is covered. Without sunlight, it will be significantly better. Some pool owners already have such a cover for their pool foresightfully, but it's not a disaster if you don't – any decent tarp will suffice. This way, the chlorine you have will be used most effectively.

Supply of chlorine and test kit

Chlorine in the pool breaks down in the sun fairly quickly due to UV rays, so pool owners keep chlorine levels at around 3 ppm (parts per million).

Therefore, your survival kit should definitely include something to test this water content and a backup chlorine supply (tablets should be kept precisely at the top in a suspended bag, not at the bottom!). Even without electricity, the water needs to be stirred manually regularly.

Water filters

It's also an excellent idea to clean the water using a high-quality water filter. This will remove spores, organic bacteria, and everything else, ensuring a better taste.

So, is pool water safe to drink or not?

In summary, it can be safe to use your (or a stranger’s) backyard pool as drinking water in an emergency. But only under the condition that the water is reasonably clean. If you have any doubts, best not to drink.

The problem with pools of others is that without a perfect chemical analysis, you don’t know what someone might have added. And you can’t always tell poisonous substances by taste. If you have time, it’s always better to build a filter from soil, sand, and charcoal and pour the water through it.

On the other hand, such suspicious water is fine for washing, flushing the toilet, etc., again probably in an emergency.