The City of Arlington has a total land area of 100 square miles . In order to alleviate flooding over this large area the city maintains a storm drainage system called the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4 . It was designed to divert excess rainwater to the many creeks and streams found in the City of Arlington such as Rush Creek , Johnson Creek , Fish Creek , Lynn Creek , Bowman Branch Creek , Cottonwood Creek , Upper and Lower Village Creek and the West Fork of the Trinity River Tributaries . As the runoff water from rain events flows over impervious surfaces like streets , parking lots , driveways as well as rooftops , yards and garden areas it picks up pollutants along the way and deposits them in our local waterways which is then transported to Lake Arlington , the Trinity River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico .
It is important to monitor the quality of the water which flows through the City ’ s drainage system . Chlorine , bromine , algaecides , biocides , water conditioners , stabilizers , and other chemicals in pool and spa water are toxic to fish and other aquatic life . Diatomaceous earth ( DE ), cellulose fiber , and sand particles from backwash water can fill in the spaces of stream bed gravel , preventing oxygen from reaching fish eggs and young fish . DE and cellulose fiber can also clog fish gills . Large quantities of these chemicals can cause fish kills , destabilize fish populations which can effect the local wildlife food chain . These chemicals can also lead to higher water treatment costs for drinking water .
There are three options for draining your swimming pool or spa .
Whichever option you chose , remember you must dechlorinate the water before draining occurs . �� Allow the water to sit in the sun for 5 to10 days without adding any chlorine or other chemicals
�� Use a chemical dechlorination additive : Contact your local pool store for options
�� Use a simple chlorine test kit to Verify water is dechlorinated .
Drain pool water to yard or landscaped areas . ��
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Allow water to soak into the grassy or landscaped areas of your yard . This will filter out any residual pollutants . Don ’ t cause flooding of your neighbor ’ s property or any other adjacent property . � The land area should be sufficient to prevent yard erosion and sediment runoff into a ditch , creek , or storm drain system .
Swimming pool water may be discharged to the storm drain system after the following conditions are met :
�� The pool or spa water is completely dechlorinated . �� The pH of the water is between 6.5 and 9 . �� Do not discharge acid cleaning wastes , filter media or other pool chemicals .
�� Ensure discharged water will not create puddles of standing water . This could provide breeding grounds for mosquitos .
Drainage hoses must stay on your property and drain directly to the street . Water allowed to flow onto neighboring properties may cause flooding and property damage .
Drain pool water to the sanitary sewer system .
�� Locate the sanitary sewer cleanout on your property or an indoor drain such as a sink or bathtub .
�� Using a hose , connect a siphon or sump pump that pumps no more than 50 gallons per minute . Have a 2- inch gap between the hose and the clean out pipe .
�� Pump the water from the pool or spa to the cleanout or indoor drain .
�� Replace all cleanout covers when finished .
DO NOT drain swimming pool or spa water to your SEPTIC SYSTEM it may cause system failure .
Saline Pool ( saltwater ) disposal options :
�� Drain to a vegetated area on the pools owners property . However discharging saltwater to landscape areas can significantly damage vegetation and soils due to the high salt content . �� Drain to the sanitary sewer system .
Never drain a saline pool to the storm drain system . The high salt content can be damaging to the water quality and the storm drain infrastructure components .
It is a violation of city ordinance to discharge any swimming pool or spa chemicals into the storm drain system .
Contact the Action Center at 817-459-6777 or go online to www . arlingtontx . gov / contact to report a violation .
Do no harm to your neighbors property , city property or the local water quality .