Local Regulations You Should Be Aware of Before Draining a Las Vegas Swimming Pool
People may decide to drain their pools for any number of reasons. They might want to refresh the water or make some in-depth repairs. But before starting the discharge, Las Vegas pool owners should consider several regulations to avoid legal trouble.
Below are some local regulations that Las Vegas homeowners should bear in mind when draining their pool and some great tips on draining a pool correctly.
What do Las Vegas authorities say about draining pools?
The main detail to remember is that removing swimming pool water over or into a septic system is forbidden. The city prohibits this to prevent septic system overload or failure.
The recommended place for directing swimming pool discharge is the sanitary sewer cleanout. It is usually a three-inch plastic pipe at or around ground level near the residence. Sometimes it may be buried in the landscaping, and the homeowner might need the service of a licensed pipe contractor or plumber to locate it.
But if the cleanout really can’t be found or the house has a septic system, the city can give one-time permission to drain the swimming pool into a street gutter. To file this request, schedule a meeting with the environmental officer of Las Vegas.
If they grant the request, the water discharged must be dechlorinated with chemicals such as sodium thiosulfate.
How to properly drain a pool
A standard draining process looks like this:
Cut off the power to the filtration system of the pool with the circuit breaker.
Switch off the automatic fill valve.
Locate the cleanout port to reach the sewer line. Again, the port should be near the house, usually close to a water fixture. The port is between three and four inches wide, and the fitting matches a square wrench.
Run a discharge hose from the port to the swimming pool and attach it to a pump.
Place the pump in the deepest section of the swimming pool and close to the drain.
As the pool is draining, keep track of the flow coming to the port to ensure that the water doesn’t get backed up into shower drains or the sink. If it happens, stop the discharge, and you may have to call a licensed plumber.
The recommended drain rate is 12 gallons a minute. But try to operate at a lower rate to avoid problems during the discharge.
Safety first
To sum up, don’t rush headlong into discharging a swimming pool. Make sure that all the local regulations are being observed to avoid legal issues. Also, hiring a professional pool service company may be a better option than draining the pool yourself. They will perform the job quickly and safely.
Pool Tile Cleaning Vegas offers pool tile cleaning, calcium removal, acid washing, pool draining, and media blasting services, in Las Vegas and Henderson. Call us at (702)605-6936.
