Why Schuylkill River Corridor Creates Specific Pool Maintenance Requirements in Conshohocken
Conshohocken, PA did not choose its location relative to the Schuylkill River. The borough was settled in 1830 and incorporated in 1850 on a one square mile site on the east bank of the Schuylkill, and the river has defined its character ever since. The name Conshohocken itself comes from the Unami Lenape language meaning roughly big-trough-ground-place, a reference to the large bend in the Schuylkill that creates the distinctive geography of this specific location.
Industrial history like the Alan Wood Steel Company, the manufacturing that made this borough an economic powerhouse for over a century was built on the river. The post-industrial revival that has brought young professionals here from Philadelphia was built on the river as well, via the Schuylkill River Trail and the train lines that connect Conshohocken, PA to Center City.
For pools, the river’s presence creates a specific maintenance requirement. The riparian corridor along the Schuylkill deposits organic material into pool water throughout every growing season for pools on the east bank in Conshohocken, PA. Tannins from the riparian vegetation, fine organic particulates carried by the river corridor, and the biological organic load from an actively flowing river system all enter pool water and convert to phosphates that fuel algae growth during the warmest weeks when not consistently managed. Managing that river corridor phosphate input on every weekly visit is not the same as managing a suburban pool in a landlocked community without active water corridor drainage. It is a specific requirement of pool maintenance in this specific location.