Rising temperatures, windy weather and lots of spring pollen could awaken a nasty pool problem.
"If you see any tinge of green, now is the time," said Chuck LaPose, owner of AZ Pool Guru.
Green and murky backyard pools can be dangerous and disgusting.
"I did one where I found, unfortunately, a dead animal in the bottom of the pool; it was that bad," LaPose said.
Green pools are also a breeding spot for disease-carrying mosquitos.
"Of course, you've heard of West Nile virus, Zika virus - mosquito-borne viruses - so it's not a very good situation to have," LaPose said.
Maricopa County's Environmental Services Department takes complaints about festering backyard pools. County workers will treat the pool as they try to get the owner to make a permanent fix.
LaPose says the number of green pools in the Valley decreased significantly when the foreclosure crisis ended several years ago. Now he says many green pool customers have put off maintenance and repairs due to financial problems.
"This is the first thing that goes out of the budget," LaPose said. "What they don't realize is this is the second largest in investments that they all own."
LaPose says catching pool problems early can save hundreds of dollars later in major repairs. He also says pool owners should weigh their algae options. LaPose says sometimes it's cheaper to drain and refill a pool than to spend hundreds of dollars on chemicals trying to clear a very murky pool.
