Filling and emptying your pool
When filling and emptying your pool, there's some things you'll need to take into account.
Filling
Our Water Supply Bylaw requires a backflow prevention device is fitted into the pipe or hose system used to fill the pool that stops water from the pool being sucked back into the water supply (for example, in the event of a fall in the mains water pressure).
Four basic types of device can be used: air gaps, vacuum breakers (both atmospheric and pressure type), double check valve assemblies, and reduced pressure zone devices.
For hose-filled pools, the most common device is the hose connection vacuum breaker. These devices are a specialised version of the atmospheric vacuum breaker. They are usually attached to hose taps and in turn to outlets such as garden hoses.
Emptying
When emptying the water from your pool, you must make sure it doesn't enter the waterways. This means it can't run down the stormwater drains because they discharge into streams and rivers. Residents connected to the Council sewage system can dispose of their pool water down the sewer via a gully trap. Owners with alternative sewage disposal systems (for example septic tanks) should talk to us about their situation.
Filtered backwash water could contain contaminants and must also be put via a gully trap into the sewer.
Note: It might be necessary to take precautionary measures before emptying in-ground pools where the ground water table is high or could be of concern, to prevent the pool lifting and causing structural damage.