Last Updated: December 30, 2021

# How Much Does It Cost to Fill a Swimming Pool with Water?

Written By: Pool Care Guide

On average, the cost to fill up a swimming pool with water will be between $4 to$10 per 1,000 gallons. Ultimately, the cost will be determined by the size of your pool. Most residential pools hold roughly 20,000 gallons of water which means you can expect to pay between $80 to$200.

## How much does it cost to fill a pool with water?

Gallons purchasedPrice rangeAverage National Cost (United States)
1,000$4 to$10$7.77 5,000$20 to $50$38.85
10,000$40 to$100$77.70 15,000$60 to $150$116.55
20,000$80 to$200$155.40 25,000$100 to $250$194.25
30,000$120 to$300$233.10 ## How to Calculate How Much It Will Cost to Fill Your Swimming Pool Before you know how much you’re going to pay to fill your swimming pool, you need to know your swimming pool’s water capacity (pool volume). To determine your swimming pool’s water capacity, you can use our pool volume calculator, or you can use one of the formulas given below, depending on what kind of pool you have. #### The Formula for a Circular or Oval Pool The formula to figure out how the capacity of a circular pool is Length x Width x Depth x 5.9. If you have a round pool, both lengths will be the same. If your pool is oval, they’ll be different. For example, if you have a round pool that’s ten feet long and five feet deep, it would be 10 x 10 x 5 x 5.9, or 2,950 for the capacity. If your pool is oval, with the length being 15 and the width being ten, with a maximum depth of five feet, it would be 10 x 15 x 5 x 5.9, or 4,425. If you live in drought-prone states like California, you could be hit with overuse fines, so be sure to check on those and figure those in if you know you’ll use more than you’re allowed to. #### The Formula for Square and Rectangular Pools The formula for square and rectangular pools is Length x Width x Depth x 7.5. If your pool is square, the lengths will be the same. If your pool is deeper on one side than it is on the other, you’ll need to use the average depth of the water to get a reasonable estimate of water volume. If your pool is square and ten feet on one side, it’s going to be 10 x 10 x 5 x 7.5, or 3,750. If your pool is rectangular, and it’s ten feet long and five feet wide, with an average depth of 7.5 feet, it would be 10 x 5 x 7.5 x 7.5, or 2,812. ### Determine Cost Within the United States,$1 will pay for roughly 129 gallons of water. With that rate, we can calculate the following costs.

• 5,000 gallons would cost $38.84 • 10,000 gallons would cost$77.68
• 15,000 gallons would cost $111.11 • 20,000 gallons would cost$155.36

## What Can I Do to Prevent Water from Evaporating from My Pool?

Evaporation is the main way swimming pools lose water. The Department of Energy estimates that 70% of pool water is lost through evaporation. How do you prevent water from evaporating from your pool? Here are some tips.

The best way to prevent water from evaporating is to cover your pool when you’re not using it. Pool covers can reduce evaporation by 95%. In addition, pool covers also help keep your pool warm because the cover helps trap heat inside the pool.

When you’re losing water through evaporation, you’re also losing a lot of the heat generated by your heat pump. The cover traps the heat inside the pool and lowers the energy demand of your pool equipment.

Owning a cover also reduces the number of chemicals you have to use, the amount of debris in your pool, and the amount of time you have to operate your pump and filter.

### Turn Your Pool Water Features Off

Some pools have extra features like waterfalls and jets. However, if you want to prevent pool water evaporation, these need to be turned off occasionally. Waterfalls and jets increase the amount of water exposed to the sun and air, which means they’re more prone to evaporation.

It’s a good idea to turn these features off when they’re not being used. This can save you money on water and chemicals. Turn the features back on when you’re ready to entertain guests again.

Warm water evaporates faster than cooler water because the molecules move faster. As the temperatures go down, the water evaporates even faster. Molecules turn into mist in warm water, which evaporates quickly.

This process goes faster when the pool water temperature is higher than the temperature of the air. Cold water resists evaporation. Remember this if you’re trying to prevent evaporation and save money on water.

## Wrapping Up

Having a pool can be fun during the spring and summer months, but costs go up, and you need to maintain it properly to keep it usable. So, make sure to consider all factors before you decide to buy a home with a pool or put a pool in your yard.

### Is it cheaper to fill a pool with a hose?

A hose is the cheapest way to fill a pool. It is significantly cheaper than having the water delivered. The price difference will vary from state to state. 99% of the time, that difference will be in the hundreds of dollars.

### Will 2 hoses fill a pool faster than one?

Running two hoses into a pool will speed up the filling process for most homes. It won’t likely double it, since they will be sharing the same water pressure. That said, it should still significantly reduce the time it takes to fill the pool.

### Is it okay to fill a pool overnight?

It shouldn’t be a problem. Most pools take over 24 hours to fill, so overfilling shouldn’t be much of a risk. You can estimate how fast you will fill the pool by dividing the pool capacity by the garden hose’s flow rate. That flow rate should be between 9 and 17 gallons per minute. On average, it will be between 12 and 13 GPM.

### How long does it take to fill a pool with a water truck?

Of course, all of this will vary from company to company. That said, tanker trucks generally make round trips every 45 minutes. Also, most tanker trucks hold 5,500 to 11,600 gallons. With that information, you should be able to see that most pools will be filled in 2 to 3 hours.

### How long does it take to fill a pool?

Hoses have flow rates between 9 to 17 gallons per minute. You can estimate the amount of time by dividing your pool capacity by 9 and by 17. Dividing by 9 will give you the estimation of how slowly it might fill ( In minutes ). Dividing by 17 will show you how fast it might be ( In minutes ). If you want to see this estimation in hours, individually divide your answers by 60.

### Can you swim in a pool just filled?

While you should treat your pool as quickly as possible, a freshly filled pool isn’t dangerous for swimmers. It is the same water that is used in showers and bathtubs.

### Do I need to shock a newly filled pool?

Yes, you should shock a freshly filled pool.