If you have a swimming pool on your property, you probably don’t want to go through the hassle of draining it. Most of the time, you won’t need to. Chemicals like chlorine keep the water safe and clean for extended periods of time so that water can remain in your pool long-term without collecting bacteria. However, occasionally, the PH balance in your pool will be off, or you may need to make a repair to your pool, or maybe you want to winterize your pool by emptying it. Whatever the reason, there will come a day when you will need to drain your pool, and it’s important that you do so the correct way: into your sewer. It’s important to drain pool water into your sewer and only into your sewer.

Here’s why.

1. Pool Water Can Be Harmful to Plants and Wildlife

The water from your pool is filled with chemicals and does not contain the oxygen that plants and wildlife depend on when they drink or swim in water. This is why it is illegal in most places to drain your pool water into the street. The water will end up killing plants and making fish and animals ill, not to mention it will encroach on other people’s properties, which brings us to the next point.

2. Pool Water Can Cause Flooding and Erosion

Okay, you may think, so I won’t let the pool water run into the streets. But why can’t I just drain the pool water into my own yard? The problem is that pools carry such an abundance of water, it won’t stay only on your property. Chances are good that the pool water will inevitably end up in the street or in your neighbor’s yard. That amount of water will likely erode the banks of any nearby water sources like streams and ponds, and it can flood the homes of people who live close to you–not to mention damage their grass and other greenery.

How To Properly Drain Pool Water Into Your Sewer

In order to drain pool water into your sewer, you are going to have to follow a few steps.

1. Dechlorinate Your Pool

This means leave the pool for a few days without adding any chlorine, or buy a dechlorinator.

2. Use a Powerful Pump

Since you will be draining a lot of water, you can’t just use a regular pump. You will need a powerful pump that you can submerge in the deepest part of your pool.

3. Connect Draining Hose to the Access Port of Your Home’s Sewer System 

If you have never done this before, you may need to search for it, but it shouldn’t take too long to find. You can usually find it near the foundation of your home.

4. Monitor the Draining Process

You may be tempted to let the pump and hose do its thing while you go on with the rest of your day, but this would be a mistake. During the process of draining, water can get stopped up or other issues can arise that require your attention, or the attention of a sewer professional. It’s important to keep watch while you drain pool water into your sewer to make sure you can intervene if you start to notice a problem.

As always, the professionals at A&L Cesspool are here to help you with any aspect of sewer care. Whether you simply need to know where your sewer line access is or you have a problem with your sewer system, our experts are happy to help!