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Phosphates. The invisible common denominator behind many pool problems, elevated chlorine demand, and sometimes even cloudy water. Removing phosphates is the third of Orenda's Four Pillars of Proactive Pool Care. This third pillar is an easy one to master. The action step is simple: keep your water's phosphate levels as low as possible; ideally below 500 parts per billion (ppb). In this article, we will explain why phosphate removal is so beneficial and important, even if it's not always mandatory.

Almost every year, devastating wildfires burn in the western United States and Canadian forests.  Even if you are far enough to not see the flames and smoke, swimming pools in the region may still be affected. Wildfire ash and soot can travel hundreds of miles.

High phosphates seem to weaken chlorine, as evidenced by low chlorine readings, lowered ORP, and the most visual of all evidence: algae. What’s really going on?

What kinds of phosphates might be in a swimming pool? There are several variations, and this article will outline some of them. Mainly, we want to illustrate that some phosphate compounds will not show up on an orthophosphate test kit.