Cyanobacteria In Nearby Utah Rivers Can Make Its Way To Your Pool

You've heard the warnings about cyanobacteria in rivers and lakes that can be harmful to humans and toxic to pets. If it is in the water in Utah it can also make its way to your backyard pool. Even worse, chlorine doesn't kill it.

Zion National Park's Warning: Protecting Visitors and Pets

Right now Zion National Park is monitoring the water and has warned visitors not to put their head under the water in the rivers and pools. They also say to keep pets away from the water as cyanobacteria can kill them.

They call it black algae but it is actually a bacteria and the spores can blow in, or wash in with rain and runoff from the environment around and into your pool. It can also be transferred in by a swimmer who has been in a lake or river.

The Chlorine Dilemma: Why It's Ineffective Against Cyanobacteria

It appears as dark, slimy splotches on the steps or pool walls. The contaminated spots are slightly raised and feel like rough like a scab on the skin. They also do not wipe away.

The reason chlorine has a hard time killing it is because the outer layer consumes it before it gets to the organism inside. Shocking your pool will kill the outer layer but the bacteria continue to live inside the dead protective layer.

Read More: Why Zion National Park is on List of Disappointing Destinations

Getting rid of cyanobacteria requires some heavy duty scrubbing. You have to get it out of the porous surfaces. Once you have cleaned it out as much as possible, smearing chlorine into the surface can kill the remaining spores.

There are chemicals that will kill cyanobacteria. These are strong and you should be familiar with what they can do to the skin and your pool surface before using them.