White Water Mold (WWM) is a naturally occurring fungus (this is NOT a form of Algae; it is animal not vegetable) that resembles white mucous or tissue paper found all over pool surfaces.
WWM forms a heavy, protective coating providing the organism with an unusually high level of protection that is very resilient against halogen-based (chlorine, bromine) & non-halogen sanitizers or germicides.
White Water Mold is a biofilm.
WWM can remain a contaminant even after treatment.
WWM exists on the surface of PVC plastics
WWM can re-contaminate long after it appears that it has been destroyed (includes pool toys, floats, ladders, steps, fountains, automatic pool cleaner parts, skimmer baskets, weirs, directional fittings, garden hoses, etc.)
WWM – small quantities can lead to a re-establishment of the problem
WWM is caused by improper water & pool maintenance, environment, poor circulation
WWM prefers areas that are “dark” (not exposed to direct sunlight) & with “slow moving” water
WWM is not caused by using Biguanides (Soft Swim, Baquacil, Polyclear, etc.)!
REMENBER: WWM is an environmental issue.
Prevention:
- Prevention of “white water mold” is preferred over treatment. Follow these steps to help prevent white water mold:
- Physically brush & clean ALL Pool surfaces weekly, including ladder steps (especially underneath each step) & rails
- Expose ALL pool surfaces to as much sunlight as possible (sunlight & UV are natural
oxidizers) - Remove the lid from the skimmer to allow sunlight into the basket for several hours each day ** Inground POOLS MUST USE EXTREME CAUTION in doing this in order to avoid a person falling into or otherwise injuring themselves due to an open skimmer.
- Regularly add oxidizing chemicals into the skimmer to purge & clean the filtration lines of any bio-film*
- When adding make-up water from the garden hose, allow the water to run for 2 to 3
minutes before putting the hose into the pool. - Regularly clean pool toys & floats (use Stow Away)
- Regularly clean pool solar blanket (use Stow Away)
- Chemically clean pool filter every 4 to 6 weeks (use Strip Kwik, Kleen It or SoftSwim® Filter Cleaner)
- Add regular Maintenance dosages of “Shock” & Algicide every 2 to 3 weeks as prescribed
- Use Optimizer Plus® as a preventative measure
- Run the filter a minimum of 12 hours daily to prevent “dead spots” in the pool
- Remember to clean & rinse the brushes, hoses & vacuums that you use to clean the pool
- Leave as much of your pool equipment exposed to the sun
- Keep the water balanced at all times.
- Recheck after heavy usage or rain or large “top-offs” of new water.
- Water balance refers to Free Available Sanitizer level, pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness.
Treatment:
- Treatment of “white water mold” MUST BE QUICK AND TOTAL! DON’T SKIMP!
- Clean all pool & affected surfaces as prescribed above.
- Physically clean & remove all visible “white water mold”
- Add an initial dosage of Algicide to the pool*
- “Shock” the pool with a triple or quadruple dose*
- Run filter 24-7 until water is clear & halogen or peroxide levels are at the “higher” level
- Chemically clean the filter
- Bring in a fresh water sample about 4 days later for a retest & evaluation
- Maintain Optimizer Plus® levels
- Maintain good water balance of pH, Total Alkalinity & Calcium Hardness