Pool care articles
Why is my pool cloudy in Austin?
Cloudy pool water has no single cause, so check two things in order. First test free chlorine and pH, which the CDC recommends keeping at 7.0 to 7.8 and at least 1 ppm. Then compare the filter gauge with its recorded clean pressure at the same pump speed. Sullivan’s Pool Service in Austin reads the two together before deciding what to correct.
If you own a backyard pool in Austin and the water has gone cloudy, the place to start is not a guess about one cause. Cloudiness can come from the water, from the circulation system or from both, so we look at the test results and the equipment together. Test the water before you change anything, then look at the filter.
Read the water and the equipment together
Restricted filtration can contribute to a clarity problem, but cloudiness on its own does not identify the fault. That is why we assess the readings and the circulation side by side, rather than letting one stand in for the other.
Our water testing service covers free and total chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid, with salt level and cell output checked where a pool has a salt system. We check the Langelier saturation as well, not just the individual numbers, and test for phosphates and metals when the water says it is warranted. When corrections are decided, they are dosed on site and what was added is written down. What the pool surface and the equipment instructions call for also matters in that decision, so the dosing is not pulled from a chart alone.
Start with chlorine and pH
For home pools the CDC recommends a pH of 7.0 to 7.8 and at least 1 ppm free chlorine, or at least 2 ppm when cyanuric acid or stabilized chlorine is in use. It recommends testing chlorine and pH at least twice daily and more often during heavy use. Sunlight and the pee, poop, sweat and dirt that swimmers bring in can lower the chlorine concentration, so a reading from earlier in the week may not describe the water now.
Follow the test manufacturer's directions when you test. The CDC also notes that a sample above 10 ppm chlorine may bleach the test and give a false low or zero reading, so a very low reading taken just after a heavy dose may not be accurate.
If the water has gone past cloudy to green, the disinfectant has fallen too low to hold back algae. That is a recovery job with its own order of work, and swimmers stay out until the water tests right, not just until it looks clear.
Then check the filter pressure
We record a filter's clean starting pressure when we service it, so the next check is judged against that filter rather than a rule of thumb. Read the gauge at the same pump speed and operating setup you had when the baseline was taken, and follow the manual for the filter you actually have. Our note on filter pressure covers when a filter is due for cleaning and what each type needs.
A pool filter can be under pressure, and opening one calls for qualified service and the proper procedure. Identify the filter by its label, not the shape of its tank.
Appearance is not a safety test
We keep a pressure reading separate from a disinfection assessment. A gauge tells you about the filter; it says nothing about whether the water is sanitized. And clear-looking water is not by itself permission to swim. The measured readings matter whether the water looks clear or cloudy, and a clean gauge cannot substitute for them.
Austin tap water, for comparison
Austin Water treats water at three plants, Davis, Ullrich and Handcox, and publishes summaries of the finished drinking water at each plant's tap. In its quarterly table, the pH of the finished water was 9.70 at Davis, 9.74 at Ullrich and 9.65 at Handcox. Total hardness was 76 mg/L as CaCO3 at the Davis tap, 77 mg/L at Ullrich and 77 mg/L at Handcox. Total alkalinity as CaCO3 was 52 mg/L at Davis, 51 mg/L at Ullrich and 60 mg/L at Handcox. Total chloramines were 2.69 mg/L at Davis, 2.52 mg/L at Ullrich and 2.60 mg/L at Handcox.
Those are averages for tap water, not readings of your pool. Since the CDC recommends testing chlorine and pH routinely, the practical step after a fill is the same: test the actual water in your pool rather than assuming anything from the tap or the summary. Only your own test kit measures what is in the pool now.
Sources
In Austin
Fill water matters here. Austin Water reported finished water leaving its three plants in the second quarter of 2026 at pH 9.65 to 9.74, total hardness of 76 to 77 mg/L as CaCO3, total alkalinity of 51 to 60 mg/L, and 2.52 to 2.69 mg/L of chloramines. Those are averages for tap water, not readings of your pool, so test the pool itself after a top-up.
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Sullivan’s Pool Service maintains pools in and around Austin, including Northwest Hills, South Austin, West Lake Hills, Tarrytown, Great Hills, River Place, Crestview, East Austin, North Austin, West Campus, Hyde Park, Downtown Austin and St. Johns, and in Bee Cave, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Leander, Pflugerville and Round Rock. See every service area.
Weekly residential service has one fixed monthly price, set by pool size: see pool service pricing for what each size tier covers.
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Tell us your service location and whether you need weekly care, help with equipment, or a one-time service. Call or send the quote form. We’ll confirm availability and the next step for your pool. Repairs and other separately quoted work are discussed before approval.