Building a Water Wall Next to Your Swimming Pool

A water wall alongside a pool is one of the most striking upgrades you can add to an outdoor entertaining area. But a pool environment is more demanding on your components than a standard garden water wall. Here's what's different about a pool-side install, and how you can often drive the whole feature from your existing pool pump.

Why 316L marine grade stainless is the standard for pool installs

Pool water is chlorinated (and increasingly salt-chlorinated), and both are corrosive to metal over time. 304 grade stainless, the standard used in most garden water walls, doesn't have enough molybdenum content to reliably resist this exposure. 316L marine grade stainless — the grade we recommend for every pool installation — contains added molybdenum for exactly this purpose, the same reason it's used in marine fittings and coastal architecture. Even 316 can develop light cosmetic "tea staining" over time, especially in salt pools — this doesn't affect strength or lifespan, and is easily minimised with balanced pool chemistry and an occasional rinse. See our full guide on 316 vs 304 Grade Stainless Steel for the complete comparison.

Shop our 316 Marine Grade Spillway range below, available in 600mm, 900mm, 1200mm and 1500mm widths, several bundled with a multi-colour LED light bar.

Stainless steel or acrylic — which suits a pool install?

Our Water Blade Spillway range includes both 316 stainless and acrylic, and both are suitable for pool use, rated for fresh, chlorinated and salt water. 316 stainless gives a thicker, more robust curtain effect with the strongest long-term resistance to chemical exposure — best for a fully sun-exposed wall. Acrylic gives a thinner, more delicate projecting sheet with a crystal-clear finish, never tea-stains, and is a particularly strong choice for a shaded or south-facing wall, where UV exposure is minimal. For the full comparison — including why orientation matters more than most acrylic care guides let on — read Luponds Stainless Steel vs Luponds Acrylic Water Wall Spillways.

Can you run a pool water wall off your existing pool pump?

Yes — in many setups, this is a genuinely good option. Rather than adding a second dedicated pump, you can plumb the spillway into your existing pool circulation as an auxiliary return line, using a diverter valve to send a portion of flow to the spillway while the rest continues through normal filtration. This works best with a variable speed pool pump with spare capacity, and needs a spare auxiliary port (or one added by a pool technician), a diverter valve, and correctly sized plumbing.

A dedicated pump is the better option if your pool pump is already near capacity, or if you want the water wall running independently of your filtration cycle.

Any modification to your pool's plumbing should be assessed by a licensed pool technician or plumber to avoid affecting filtration performance or voiding equipment warranties.

What effect suits a pool surround?

Most pool installations use a projecting curtain effect for its visual and audio impact against the water's surface. For larger surrounds, a multi-spillway installation across larger wall widths creates a genuine statement piece.

Complete your pool water wall

• LED light bars — several spillways are available bundled with a multi-colour RGB bar.
• Sealant & Forms for wall penetrations.
• For cladding, we recommend InfinitiStone, or browse our own Stone Cladding range.

For the general install process, see our full How to Build a Water Wall guide.

Talk to our water wall experts

Pool installs are different from a standard garden water wall. If you'd like assistance in choosing the right water wall spillway for your pool water wall, call 1300 238 288, or contact us here.

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