Green Pool? Emergency Pool Cleaning in Ibiza

You arrive at your villa, lift the cover, and the water is green. Guests are due in 48 hours. This is the most common emergency we're called out for in Ibiza — and the good news is most green pools can be recovered in one to three days.

Why Pools Turn Green in Ibiza

Green water means algae. Algae blooms happen when three things line up: warm water, sunlight, and insufficient sanitiser. Ibiza's climate is almost perfectly designed to grow algae from May onward, so even a short lapse in maintenance can flip a clear pool green within 48 hours.

The usual causes we see:

• Chlorine dropped to zero — often after a heatwave, a heavy rain event, or a long weekend of parties
• Stabiliser too high (above 80 ppm) — locks up your chlorine even though test strips look fine
• Pump not running long enough — 4 hours a day is rarely enough in July or August
• Clogged or neglected filter — water moves through the system but nothing is being captured
• Phosphate load from fertiliser run-off — common in villas near gardens or farmland in Santa Gertrudis or San Jose

The Three Shades of Green

Before you do anything, look at the colour. It tells you how serious the bloom is and how long recovery will take:

• Cloudy or slightly green — early algae. One shock treatment and 24 hours of filtration usually fixes it.
• Solid green, you can't see the bottom at 1m depth — established bloom. Two to three days of treatment, plus manual vacuuming.
• Dark green or black, water feels slimy — advanced. Surfaces are likely coated in biofilm. Budget three to five days and expect to drain and refill partially.

How to Fix a Green Pool — Step by Step

If you want to attempt it yourself, this is the sequence we follow:

1. Test the water. Check pH, free chlorine, and stabiliser. Don't just use strips — drop-test kits are far more accurate in algae situations.
2. Balance pH first. Shock treatment only works when pH is between 7.2 and 7.6. Too high and chlorine becomes almost inactive.
3. Brush the walls and floor thoroughly. This breaks up the biofilm so the chlorine can actually reach the algae cells.
4. Shock the pool. Use calcium hypochlorite at 3–4 times the normal dose. Add at dusk so UV doesn't burn it off before it works.
5. Run the pump continuously for at least 24–48 hours. Backwash the sand filter every 8 hours as it loads up.
6. Add a clarifier once the water turns cloudy grey or blue. This binds dead algae so the filter can catch it.
7. Vacuum to waste (not through the filter) if debris has settled on the floor.
8. Rebalance. Once the water is clear, retest and bring chlorine down to normal levels before anyone swims.

When to Call a Professional

Call someone the same day if:

• You can't see the bottom of the shallow end
• Guests are arriving within 72 hours
• The water has a strong chemical or sewage smell
• You've shocked twice and it's still green
• Your stabiliser reading is above 100 ppm (the pool likely needs partial draining)
• There's visible black staining on the walls (black algae — requires specialist treatment)

A professional emergency recovery in Ibiza typically costs €250–€600 depending on pool size and severity, and usually takes one to three site visits. That's almost always cheaper than draining and refilling — which can run €400+ in water charges alone, plus extra stress on the pool surface.

How to Stop It Happening Again

After we recover a pool, we almost always find the same pattern: someone was maintaining it, but not closely enough. Here's what actually prevents green pools in Ibiza:

• Run the pump 8–10 hours a day from June through September, not the default 4–6
• Test chlorine twice a week, not weekly, during peak season
• Replace stabiliser only when needed — if it's over 50 ppm, don't keep adding stabilised tablets
• Use a pool cover when the villa is empty for more than a few days — cuts chlorine loss by up to 70%
• Schedule a pro visit within 48 hours of any storm or heavy rainfall
• Don't skip the weekly visit between bookings — this is the #1 cause of rental pool algae

For context on what weekly service normally involves and what it costs, see our guide to pool maintenance costs in Ibiza. If your pool has been sitting through winter, our summer startup checklist will walk you through a safe re-opening.