Free tool · Georgetown, TX

Pool Leak or Just Evaporation? Georgetown Pool Bucket Test Calculator

Georgetown pools lose water to Central Texas evaporation all season. The bucket test tells you in 24 hours whether it is a real leak. Enter your measurements to get gallons lost, cost at Georgetown rates, and next steps.

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Georgetown pools lose water to Central Texas evaporation all season, especially from May through October. The bucket test is the most reliable way to separate a real leak from normal water loss before calling a technician. Given Georgetown tiered water pricing, a leaking pool can push monthly usage into Tier 3 or Tier 4 and add up fast.

Georgetown residential sewer is a flat monthly charge. Pool water drains to the yard, not the sewer system, so only the water bill is affected by a pool leak or routine refilling.

How to run the bucket test

Fill a 5-gallon bucket with pool water to about 1 inch from the top.

Place the bucket on the first or second pool step so the water level inside matches the pool water level outside.

Mark the water level inside the bucket and the pool water level outside with tape or a marker.

Run the pool pump on its normal schedule. Disable auto-fill. Wait 24 hours.

Measure how much the level dropped inside the bucket and outside the bucket. Enter both below.

Pool Bucket Test Calculator

Pool shape

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Drop inside bucket (inches)

Drop outside bucket / pool (inches)

Related pool leak pages

If the test shows a likely leak, see our Pool Leak Detection and Repair, Above Ground Pool Leak, Inground Pool Leak, and Pool Liner Leak pages. Read more about pool leaks vs. evaporation in Georgetown.

Georgetown pool leak questions

How do I know if my Georgetown pool is leaking or just evaporating?

Run the bucket test: place a bucket of pool water on a step so the inside level matches the pool level. Mark both, wait 24 hours with the pump running, then compare the drops. If the pool drops more than the bucket, the extra loss is a leak, not evaporation.

How much water do Central Texas pools lose to evaporation per day?

Georgetown and Central Texas pools typically lose 0.1 to 0.25 inches per day to evaporation in summer, more on hot windy days. Any loss beyond what the bucket loses in the same 24 hours points to a leak rather than normal evaporation.

What is the pool bucket test?

The bucket test isolates evaporation from a real leak. A bucket of pool water evaporates at the same rate as the pool surface. If the pool drops more than the bucket over 24 hours, the difference is a leak. The bucket controls for weather so you can see only the structural loss.

How much does it cost to refill a pool in Georgetown, TX?

At Georgetown Tier 1 rates ($2.80 per 1,000 gallons), refilling 5,000 gallons costs about $14. But if refilling pushes monthly usage into Tier 2 or Tier 3, the marginal cost rises sharply. A leak running the whole pool season from May through October adds up to real money at Georgetown rates.

Bucket test showing a Georgetown pool leak?

We locate the source with pressure and dye testing before anyone opens the deck. Call now before the season is over.

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