A freshly chlorinated pool should not be discharged into the yard; the chlorine is harmful to yard plants and the environment as a whole. Using a test kit, your pool water needs to reflect a certain concentration of chlorine, such as 0.1 ppm (parts per million), before it is safe to drain into your yard.
If an individual empties their pool water on their lawn, will it end up killing the turf? In most cases very little to no damage has been seen in these situations. Turf can endure higher chlorine levels than other landscape plants such as trees, shrubs, and ornamentals.
The best way to drain the pool is to empty it directly into the sanitary sewer line outside your home.
Avoid Setting Up On Grass
To avoid killing your yard, look for a location like a porch, deck, or patio that you can place the pool on instead. Also consider raking out a layer of sand to place the pool on and remove the grass from that spot completely.
Never leave the pool up for longer than one day. A pool can smother a grass lawn, preventing it from receiving essential light and air.
Pool water should never be drained to the street or the storm drain. Storm drains in the Bay Area typically run into local creeks, rivers and the bays.
The average outdoor spigot on a home can produce up to 12 gallons per minute. A small pool can be filled in a few hours, while a large one can take 14 hours.
In simple terms, you cannot drain pool water into the streets, curbs, catch basins, gutters, ditches, channels, and ultimately, into storm drains (which flow directly into local streams)!
A: It's a waste, but fresh pool water is not safe for irrigating plants. It's because the chlorine in pool water is very toxic to plants. If the chlorine level is low enough, it's possible to use it. ... During hot weather, chlorine is added to pool water more often than during cool weather.
* Can i discharge the backwash water onto my lawn, will it harm the grass / plants? The DE doesn't harm the grass or plants, excessive chlorine or saltwater may. Alternatively you could backwash to a sewer outlet or clean-out.
While the water itself may not hurt your grass, the leftover salt just might. ... Draining into one area of the yard can allow that salt to be absorbed into the ground. Salt in small quantities will not kill grass, but salt in the soil will absorb moisture and nutrients until it is no longer able to sustain growth.
Even with proper and regular pool maintenance, it's often necessary to drain your pool — completely or partially — every 3-5 years. Draining your pool often isn't necessary, especially if you're following a proper and regular maintenance program.
Locate the Drain Valve
The drain valve is located on the outside of the pool. Run a garden hose out, with the female end near the drain valve. Connect the other end to a sprinkler, and water your lawn or garden (if pH is good and chlorine low). Remove the cap.
It's acceptable to drain the pool a few more inches below that if you live in an area that gets heavy precipitation during the winter months. Some pool professionals even suggest draining the water to as much as 6 inches below the skimmer — about the level of the bottom of the pool's return jet.
Swimming pool builders often install overflow drains near the rim of the pool that prevent flooding most of the time. If you don't have an overflow drain, or if it is clogged, it is possible for periods of unusually heavy rain to overflow your pool.
Simply stop adding chlorine to your uncovered pool and wait. Sunlight will help to naturally dissipate the chlorine within 10 days. During that time, use a swimming pool test kit to measure chlorine. Chemically dechlorinate the pool water.
If ground water is not a problem a pool can be left empty for weeks or even months as long the hydrostatic relief in the bottom of the pool is open and functioning. If the time frame of the pool being empty gets into freezing weather there is real risk of freeze-thaw damage to surface of the pool.
Should I drain my pool to get rid of algae? Yes, you can because it saves time and money, but only if you do it properly. Use the main drain in your pool and drain water through the filter pump. Or rent or borrow the pump, place the hose down the street or storm drain, and drain.
First, if the draining is done at the wrong time or under the wrong conditions, you can actually risk damaging your pool structure and liner. All the water from your pool needs to go somewhere when it's drained, and that usually means the ground.
Chlorine in Tap Water
Chlorine is added to municipal tap water to kill microbes and make the water safe to drink, but chlorine can also be toxic to plants. As with all toxicity, dose makes the poison. At low levels chlorine will not be toxic, in fact it is a required nutrient of plants. At high levels it becomes toxic.