We’re having a great summer across the Waikato. Long, hot days have meant a chance to relax and enjoy the sun. It’s also meant that a lot of families have been enjoying inflatable swimming pools in their backyard.
Inflatable pools are a great way to keep you and your family cool this summer but they’re also a large user of water. A 12 foot inflatable pool takes up to 9500 litres of water (that’s nearly 5000 bottles of milk!).
Smart Water Co-ordinator, Sally Fraser said “Demand for water is still high, especially over the weekend. So if we can make the water in pop up pools last a little longer, that’s a great help to staying at our current alert level.”
If looked after, your inflatable pool water can last all summer. If you or someone you know has an inflatable pool in their backyard follow these simple tips to ensure you’re not wasting valuable water.
- Encourage everyone to dip their feet in a bucket before dipping their body, this will help keep the water cleaner for longer.
- Sprinkle chlorine powder in the pool every couple of days to kill any germs and sanitise the water.
- If the pool comes with a pump and/or filter, use it as recommended and remember to clean the filter regularly.
- Use a fish net to gather and remove leaves that have landed in the pool.
- Cover the pool at night to keep the bugs and leaves from getting in.
- Get the kids to make a whirlpool, leave it for 10 minutes then use a hose to syphon out the residue on the bottom pool.
Remember, if your swimming pool is over 40cm in height then it needs to be safely fenced. Unfortunately, many drownings happen at home in unfenced swimming pools.
“Inflatable pools have been a popular backyard addition this summer, we don’t want to discourage families from enjoying swimming at home but it’s important that water use and water safety are a priority” said Sally Fraser.
There’s plenty of options to keep you busy and saving water this summer, because smart water starts with you. Visit www.smartwater.org.nz for great tips.
The Smart Water Starts with You! sub-regional summer campaign aims to make long-term change to how we use water and is a joint venture between Waikato District Council, Hamilton City Council, and Waipa District Council.
For more information please contact:
Nicole Nooyen
Communications Advisor | Waikato District Council
Ph: 07 824 8633 extn 5649 | Email: nicole.nooyen@waidc.govt.nz
