Your swimming pool water is a complex mix of water and chemicals. The swimming pool contractors from Advanced Pools, Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee explains that the total alkalinity in your swimming pool water is tied in with the pool waters’ pH rather than a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration.
Total alkalinity is a measure of the ability of a solution, when added to the pool water, to neutralize the hydrogen ions. It is a measure of the water’s resistance to change its pH.
That being said, it is something that your pool contractor measures and tracks during his service and maintenance visits. 
Pool Cleaning 101: What is alkalinity
When testing the pool water, total alkalinity is one of the measures that will be calculated by your Memphis, Tennessee swimming pool contractor . The total alkalinity is measured in parts per million (ppm) and is the result of alkaline materials in the water. These include:
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- Carbonates
- Hydroxides, but mostly
- Bicarbonates.
The acid-neutralizing capacity of water is sought because it prevents wide variants in pH when small amounts of acid or alkali are added to the pool.
If your pool water’s alkalinity is too low, that leads to a rapid change in pH when impurities enter the water. When the pH is too low and drops rapidly, it can lead to pool equipment corrosion or tile “etching” neither of which are things you want to have happen.
When the total alkalinity is too high, pH becomes a challenge to adjust. When this happens your pool contractor will likely add sodium bicarbonate to raise the total alkalinity to correct levels.
The reawson so many people work with experienced pool contractors is to assure the pool water chemicals are in line — when one gets out of whack, it can quickly lead to the other pool chemical levels following suit.
