What can turn water in a swimming pool purple?
Question:The water in our swiming pool has a blue/purple precipitate in it. The water itself is quite clear but the precipitate covers the walls and floor.
The ph, total alkalinity and chlorine are now at correct levels. Copper levels are ok too.
Looks verrrry pretty but obviously not correct!
Answers:
This may happen when there is a very high level of cyanuric acid (chlorine stabilizer) in the pool and it reacts with copper ions. (I'm not making this up.) Have your water checked again for both copper (even small amounts) and cyanuric acid levels. The cyanuric acid will react with the copper ions and precipitate out onto the pool surface. (Especially if the cyanuric acid was broadcast over the pool surface instead of going through the skimmer as per instructions.)
If this is the case, you may have to do a partial draining and refilling to bring the cyanuric acid levels down to the acceptable range (normally 30-50ppm).
This scenario is rare, however; and the fact that it is on the walls too makes it more unlikely, but you never know...
Also, I've heard that manganese in the water can cause purple discoloration, but I'm not aware of a readily available test for that ...
I kind of need more info before I begin randomly guessing and giving you wrong information.
Was the pH always like that?
What has happened that might have caused the change? (e.g. weather, nearby seepage, vandalism, etc.)
Approximately where do you live?
What temperature is the water?(though its not likely that you have bacteria, other minerals can form under ideal conditions)
Since you have not given a response to the above, I will guess the problem. I think that the purple blue precipitate is harmless unless it looks/feels like algae. If it does, raise the pool's free chlorine level to 10ppm and bring it down after it disappears.
If it isn't algae, then I think you can go swimming again. It's probably some minerals that seep in or copper that your test didn't detect.
Simon Legree
Maybe someone spilled prune juice on the pool.
Other than that, it's probably purple dye from someone's hair, reflection, etc.
Call your local pool store. They could either help on the phone or send someone to your home. I really couldn't say.
Has your family been drinking a lot of grape juice lately?
Sounds like it could be just fiber or lint from cloth or something. Why don't you drain water, wash out everything and fill it up again. If it turn purple again, may be something is stuck in plumping, filters or something. May be it's some algae or bacteria or something.
sounds like someone played a bad joke on you with some food coloring i hope it doesnt stain your concrete permanently $$$$
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