Pools & Spas – County Guidance
Preventing runoff from pool, spa, and fountain maintenance activities from entering our streets and storm drains helps protect our waterways from pollution! All sources of pollution, including runoff from pools, spas, and fountains, are prohibited from leaving your property; only rainwater is allowed in the streets and storm drains.
What can I do?
- Dispose of waste thoughtfully: discharge chlorinated or treated water into the sanitary sewer system to ensure that the chemicals often used in pools, spas and fountains do not enter our storm drains.
- Use Best Management Practices (BMPs): BMPs are techniques or controls used to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants, such as chlorinated water, into the storm drain system. BMPs for pool, spa, and fountain maintenance include discharging water to a landscaped area.
Know before you go…
Discharging swimming pool, spa, and fountain water to a storm drain can only be done if the water is dechlorinated, has a pH in the 7.2-8 range, and has no algae or suspended solids.
What Can You Do To Keep Our Waterways Clean?
- Follow manufacturer’s instructions for all pool chemicals. For more information on
where to properly dispose of excess chemicals, call 1-877-R-1-EARTH (1-877-713-2784). - Dispose of liquid waste from pool and spa filters into the house sanitary sewer
system and dispose of solids from pool and spa filters into a trash bag and then rinse
the filter into a landscaped area or container. - Drain water to a landscaped or rocky area that will not cause soil erosion or runoff
to a storm drain. - Drain water into a storm drain only if the water is reduced to less than 1 part per
million of chlorine or bromine, and does not contain algaecides, acid wash, or high
levels of salinity. - Pool owners are responsible for the practices of their contractors. Share these
important facts with your pool maintenance company.
