Dogs, Crocodiles, Koi, and Pool Chemistry: When Animals Use the Pool Down Under

Send us Fan MailThis week on Mondays Down Under, Lee Salisbury, Shane Melrose, and Nick discuss one of the more unusual sides of the pool industry: pools built for animals. What starts as a conversation about winter swimming temperatures quickly turns into a fascinating look at dog splash parks, crocodile enclosures, equestrian facilities, koi ponds, and the unique water quality challenges that come with maintaining aquatic environments that weren't designed for humans. Nick shares his experience servicing a commercial dog splash pad attached to a boarding kennel and dog daycare facility. Complete with water features, filtration systems, UV sanitation, ORP control, and large hair-catching pre-filters, the installation demonstrates just how much engineering can go into keeping canine swimmers safe while maintaining water quality. The hosts discuss the realities of servicing these facilities, from dealing with dog hair and elevated sanitizer demand to understanding what pathogens and contaminants may be introduced by animal bathers. The conversation expands into public aquatic facilities that host special dog-swimming events after the regular swimming season ends. Lee describes a commercial pool that transforms into a dog-friendly attraction before winter closure, complete with dog treats, pup cups, and scheduled swimming sessions. The hosts explore why these events have become popular while also examining the additional maintenance and sanitation concerns that come with allowing animals into traditionally human-focused aquatic environments. Along the way, the team shares stories from the field, including crocodile enclosure maintenance, pools converted into fish ponds, koi installations, dogs trapped under pool covers, kangaroos damaging vinyl liners, and other unexpected encounters that remind listeners that pool service often extends far beyond residential backyards. The discussion also dives into commercial pool design and operations, including Australia's practice of color-coding commercial plumbing systems to identify filtered water, unfiltered water, waste lines, and chemical treatment circuits. The hosts explain how these visual systems help technicians navigate complex plant rooms and improve troubleshooting efficiency. Finally, the group reviews sanitation considerations for splash pads and interactive water features, including secondary sanitation requirements, UV systems, ozone treatment, pathogen control, chlorine contact times, and the challenges of maintaining safe water quality in facilities with high bather loads and small water volumes. The episode concludes with practical advice for service professionals managing pools where pets are frequent swimmers and why proper filtration, sanitation, and maintenance become even more important when four-legged bathers are involved. In This Episode Commercial dog splash pads and daycare aquatic facilities  Filtration and sanitation challenges created by animal bathers  Public pools that host dog swimming events  Crocodile enclosures, equestrian pools, and koi pond conversions  Commercial plant room plumbing color-coding systems  UV, ozone, ORP, and splash pad sanitation requirements  Microbiological concerns associated with animal swimming  Practical maintenance recommendations for pools used by pets  Real-world field stories from Australia and New Zealand  Why dog hair may be one of a technician's biggest challenges Connect With Talking PoolsListen to new episodes every week across the Talking Pools Podcast Network featuring industry professionals from around the world discussing pool service, water chemistry, commercial aquatics, equipment, operations, and the challenges technicians face every day.Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere podcasts are found. Support the showThank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: [email protected]