Evaporation hurts the hip pocket, so cover up for your budget's sake...
The issue
Your pool loses up to a quarter of its volume over the six hottest months of the year. Evaporation hurts the hip pocket, not only because you have to keep topping up the water... even the chemicals disappear!
What can you do?
Installing a pool cover reduces evaporation by up to 97%.
It also extends your swimming season by keeping the water warm.
The Smart Approved WaterMark website lists a range of certified water efficient pool covers - find one to suit your pool size and budget.
Did you know?
There are over 200 dams, weirs and other storages across Queensland with a total combined capacity exceeding 13 million ML. Because of the small depth but large surface area of many of these storages, lots of water is lost due to evaporation - particularly in the flat and arid western areas of the state. The Chinaman Dam at Cloncurry has an annual evaporation rate of 3m, while Birdsville has an average evapotranspiration rate of 7.2mm per day.
Evaporation is caused by the contrast between air and water temperature, so most evaporation occurs at night when the water is relatively warm and the air temperature drops. In the middle of the day, when the air and water temperatures are similar, the rate of evaporation is less.
Other ways to reduce evaporation is through landscaping - more shade, hedges and fencing can minimise exposure to the sun and the wind.