Aug 19, 2026 · 26 min · 11 segments
\[00:00] - Intro \[01:59] - The Montana Pool Season \[04:39] - What White Water Mold Looks Like \[06:02] - Breaking down CYA \[10:12] - How to Prevent White Water Mold \[13:57] - Chemistry of…
Jon DavidsonGuestout.Well, uh, what you're dealing with according to the research, and I have three sources.
The main source is this article called Cyanuric Acid Biodegradation via B. rhét: Physiology, Taxonomy, and Geospatial Distribution.
Um, I, I can't even pronounce the names of the authors of this, but basically this source talks about how cyanuric acid can get broken down.
Now, cyanuric acid is a nitrogen compound, and inside that structure, if you can break that compound down, that nitrogen creates combined chlorine.
And if such a, uh, biofilm-rich substance like white water mold gets ahold of it, apparently it likes to consume that nitrogen.
How that's done, uh, I don't even know if I'll have time to explain it now because, to be honest with you, I don't really understand the mechanics.
But, uh, basically these white water molds, from what I've learned, it's a resistant fungal colony.
And it's, uh, the most common species is called Geotrichum candidum, and it forms a heavy mucus-like tissue.
It routinely coexists with pink slime, which is methyl- Methylobacterium or Rhodotorula yeast bacterium.
It loves dead algae, specifically the slime that protected it, and any other environmental debris.
So think, uh, like oak trees or big, um, anything that drops pods with a bunch of pollen in it.
out.Well, uh, what you're dealing with according to the research, and I have three sources.
The main source is this article called Cyanuric Acid Biodegradation via B. rhét: Physiology, Taxonomy, and Geospatial Distribution.
Um, I, I can't even pronounce the names of the authors of this, but basically this source talks about how cyanuric acid can get broken down.
Now, cyanuric acid is a nitrogen compound, and inside that structure, if you can break that compound down, that nitrogen creates combined chlorine.
And if such a, uh, biofilm-rich substance like white water mold gets ahold of it, apparently it likes to consume that nitrogen.
How that's done, uh, I don't even know if I'll have time to explain it now because, to be honest with you, I don't really understand the mechanics.
But, uh, basically these white water molds, from what I've learned, it's a resistant fungal colony.
And it's, uh, the most common species is called Geotrichum candidum, and it forms a heavy mucus-like tissue.
It routinely coexists with pink slime, which is methyl- Methylobacterium or Rhodotorula yeast bacterium.
It loves dead algae, specifically the slime that protected it, and any other environmental debris.
So think, uh, like oak trees or big, um, anything that drops pods with a bunch of pollen in it.
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3 of 6
The CYA Mystery Confirmed
A pool expert found cyanuric acid disappearing.
How Mold Consumes CYA
Testing misses it because the chemical transforms.
The Wet Toilet Paper Problem
This substance looks like wet toilet paper.
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