Flash-Flood, Silt & Fiberglas Pool

[WillowPond]

Last Fall we did some tree removal and grading uphill from our in-ground fiberglas pool. In "normal" storming and even winter thaw there were no issues. But this Spring, we have had at least two HUGE storms with "flash flood" like storms (inches per hour). We have a safety cover on the pool over the winter that lets the water through.

Yesterday, I went to "open" the pool for the season, I found that the pool was brown. Yeah, some algae, but really mostly silt, like lake-bottom sand. Then, yesterday we had another one of those storms and the run-off went right over the pool deck in to the pool with still more.

The pool has a sand filter that was re-filled season-before last, but I was advised to use course sand. I cannot imagine HOW to ever get this sand out of the pool. I do NOT have a separate pool cleaner other than the filter-driven pool vac. And my guess is this will simply come right back out the filter. I saw the skimmer sock ideas, but that assumes it gets to the skimmer. THe drain is actually on the deep-end wall, not the bottom, so it is not going to go in there, either.

Ideas? Will a filter-vac style crawler do any good here?

[polyvue]

Last Fall we did some tree removal and grading uphill from our in-ground fiberglas pool. In "normal" storming and even winter thaw there were no issues. But this Spring, we have had at least two HUGE storms with "flash flood" like storms (inches per hour). We have a safety cover on the pool over the winter that lets the water through.

Yesterday, I went to "open" the pool for the season, I found that the pool was brown. Yeah, some algae, but really mostly silt, like lake-bottom sand. Then, yesterday we had another one of those storms and the run-off went right over the pool deck in to the pool with still more.

The pool has a sand filter that was re-filled season-before last, but I was advised to use course sand. I cannot imagine HOW to ever get this sand out of the pool. I do NOT have a separate pool cleaner other than the filter-driven pool vac. And my guess is this will simply come right back out the filter. I saw the skimmer sock ideas, but that assumes it gets to the skimmer. THe drain is actually on the deep-end wall, not the bottom, so it is not going to go in there, either.

Ideas? Will a filter-vac style crawler do any good here?

Can you vacuum to waste? That would be one way to get rid of the silt. After you remove as much as possible this way, backwash your sand filter, then start pumping 24/7 until it clears. It may take several days and you'll probably have to vacuum repeatedly. Probably don't have to suggest that you'll need plenty of chlorine before opening.