Pool & Fountain Maintenance

Water is a precious resource in the Santa Clarita Valley and your actions are needed to protect our local ground water. By taking the necessary steps to maintain your swimming pool or decorative fountain, you will be less likely to drain these water features, which will help preserve the quality of water in our Santa Clara River watershed and will help the City comply with mandatory federal and state regulations.

Pool and Fountain Maintenance

• Ensure free chlorine never falls below 1.0 ppm to kill harmful germs and algae
• Super-chlorinate the pool/fountain once every two weeks by bringing the free chlorine between 6-10 ppm to break down chloramines and organic pollutants
• Correct the pH level if it falls below 7.2 or rises above 7.8 to ensure chlorine is working effectively
• Backwash your filter regularly and dispose of remaining solids in the trash or in your garden area. Never allow the filter backwash to get into the street or storm drain system

Requirements for Draining Pool or Fountain Water

• Water must not contain any chlorine or bromine residual
• Chlorine/bromine must be reduced by:
  • Burn-off using holding time (approx. 7 days)
  • Aerating
  • Adding de-chlorinating chemicals
• Water should not contain any detergents, wastes, dyes, algaecides, or any other chemicals including salts from pools commonly referred to as “salt water pools”
• Water should be pH neutral, between 6.5 and 8.5 standard units
• Water should be discharged from one outlet no greater than 2 inches diameter
• According to federal and state regulations, all of the water quality requirements listed above must be met. For pools greater than 100,000 gallons, the City must be notified at least 72 hours in advance of draining