Don't be afraid to use well water!

Since the local water company have decided that all fire hydrants (except a few) are no longer available for use to the public, I had no alternative but to use well water to fill our pool. Normally, we rent a meter and use the hydrant in the street.
It took three days to fill the pool with 35,000 gallons of well water, and it looked horrible! I followed some simple rules to get the water crystal clear. First, after making sure the pool is immaculately clean, start to fill. Add two packs of shock for every nine inches of water and keep the pump on as soon as you have enough water to run it! This will help mix the water and the shock. I have two "water return" places in my pool so it worked well. Do not get dispondant if the water looks really bad. I promise you it will become clear after a couple of days ( and a lot of work!)
If the well water contains a lot of iron, add an extra pack of shock for every nine inches of water. Keep the pump running continually!
Once the pool has been filled, leave it overnight with the pump running. The following day, you should find a fairly clear pool with all the rust in the bottom. BEFORE you vacuum the bottom, backwash and rinse the filter, then vacuum to WASTE. You will need to top the pool up, but after a couple of days of these steps, you will see an incredibly clear pool. It can also help to add some ordinary Mortons salt with rust remover. I did not use the one specifically for pools, but bought the one I use in my water softener at home. It worked a treat! Softened the water and got out the rust. I added two cupfuls every day for four days. It is essential to keep backwashing and rinsing your sand filter. I did it twice a day for four days.
The pool water is now like crystal all the way to the bottom (10feet). Dont waste your money on things that say they remove rust stains. Tried them before and they did nothing! To get rid of any rust stains, simply add more chlorine and brush. Any rust will solidify and sink to the bottom where you can vacuum it up, but always vacuum it to waste so it's not clogging your filter.
It took me 18 packs of shock for my 35,000 gallon pool, so although well water is free, it does need a lot of shock, depending on how much iron and other minerals it contains. Once the water is clear, use a test strip to see what else needs to be added. I needed very little PH reducer. I dissolved it in a bucket of pool water and threw it in the deep end. It needed nothing else! Now it's a case of testing every day and adding anything if necessary, and of course, vacuuming it and brushing down the sides at least once a week. need to keep a watchful eye out for algae! I did add a bottle of algae preventer, and so far, so good!