On rainy days, you may have watched water collect, run along the curbside, and be
swallowed by a thirsty drain. What you don’t see is all this water making its way through
the storm sewer system and then draining directly into the nearest waterway.

Any substance entering the storm sewer system gets released untreated into the bodies
of water we use for swimming, fishing, and drinking. We need to consider some of our
home practices and the effect it has when we send substances other than rain down the
drain.

Swimming pools should be dechlorinated, dibrominated, and pH neutral before they are
drained. Chlorine, bromine, and improper pH can be toxic to the plants and animals that
live in our waterways.

If you do not add chlorine or bromine to the pool water for several sunny days, the
chemicals will break down. Allow a few more days if the weather is cool or overcast. You
can purchase a testing kit and tablets to break down the chemicals in the water at a local
pool retailer.

There are a couple of ways to dispose of pool water:

LOCAL ORDINANCE PROHIBITS DRAINING POOL WATER TO THE SANITARY SEWER

Always dispose of unwanted pool chemicals properly. Contact your local government agency to find a proper disposal location

Need to Drain your Pool? (PDF)