How to find pools that need cleaning from satellite imagery

Search aerial imagery for pools, then grade the water in each one: clear blue against green, cloudy or dark. In about 4 square miles of Katy, Texas, we found 1,018 pools, and 55 had green or murky water. A picture can be months old, so a green pool is a reason to check, not proof.

You can find pools that may need cleaning by searching aerial imagery for pools and grading the water in each one: clear blue against green, cloudy or dark. When we searched about 4 square miles of Katy, Texas, in May 2026, the search outlined 1,018 pools. 55 had green or murky water, 564 were slightly off colour or had some debris, and 380 looked clear. Because the picture can be months old, a green pool is a reason to check, not proof that the pool is green today.

For a pool service company that turns a suburb into a ranked list, with the neglected pools first.

What we found in Katy, Texas

Pools outlined: 1,018 in about 4 square miles.
Poor, green or murky water: 55 pools, about 5%.
Fair, slightly off colour or some debris: 564 pools. These are cleaning candidates rather than neglected pools.
Good, clear water: 380 pools.
Not graded: the remaining 19 pools.

The share of green pools in Katy was small, which is the point. Without a list, finding 55 neglected pools among more than a thousand means driving every street.

How the pools were found and graded

We searched in plain words, "pool, swimming pools with algae growth", over Mapbox satellite imagery on 21 May 2026. Our detection model outlined each pool it found. Our condition check then looked at each one for the signs a pool service company would look for: clear blue water against green, cloudy or dark water, an empty or drained pool, a cover, debris in the water and a cracked or broken surround.

Each pool gets a grade and a suggested service: none, cleaning, repair or resurfacing. A fair grade means a cleaning candidate, poor means green or murky water, and damaged means empty, drained or broken. We did not check every outline by hand.

What the picture cannot tell you

Whether the pool is green today. Water can change colour in days, and the included imagery can be months to about two years old depending on the place. Every result shows its date. When you need a current view, a fresh capture can be bought separately from satellite providers.
The season. A pool photographed in winter may be covered or closed for good reasons. Read the grade against the date.
What trees hide. Pools under trees or in shadow can be missed or left ungraded.
Whether the owner already has a service. A clear pool may be clear because someone already cleans it, and a green one may be about to be drained.
Fine detail. The imagery shows detail to about half a metre per pixel. Small cracks in a pool's surface are not visible at that scale.

How to build a route from the list

Search your service area for pools and grade what comes back. Every pool is outlined on the map with its grade.
Start with the pools graded poor. Treat the fair ones as a wider audience for routine service rather than an urgent clean.
Check the picture date before anyone acts on a grade. A picture from last summer says little about this week.
Where a US county or state publishes parcel ownership as public record, a match shows the owner on record and mailing address, with the source and date of the record. Follow the local rules for contacting homeowners.
Assign the follow-up to your team in Tasks so every pool on the list has an owner.

Insurers use the same search for a different reason: to see whether a property has a pool an application does not mention. See our insurance page for that use. Pro is $49 a month for one person and covers up to 100 square miles of search a month. Book a demo and bring a part of your service area.

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Key takeaways

In about 4 square miles of Katy, Texas, our search outlined 1,018 pools.
55 had green or murky water and 564 were slightly off colour or had some debris.
Water changes colour in days, so check each picture's date before acting on a grade.
Start with the pools graded poor and treat fair ones as candidates for routine service.