The City of Burlington, Ontario has updated By-Law 74-2005 with 5-2012, where owners of privately owned swimming pools are required to erect and maintain fences and gates around their swimming pools. The By-Law comes into effect February 1st 2012. Updates are limited to fee structure for obtaining permits from the city. All other requirements remain unchanged.
By-laws can be found at:
Mississauga residents will find themselves under new regulations this swimming season. Effective October of 2011,
under the storm sewer use By-law, it will now be illegal to discharge water to a storm drain that contains contaminants. If a pool owner discharges or hires someone to discharge backwash water they may find themselves subject to “enforcement action.”
Under new rule, filter backwash should only be directed to the closest sanitary sewer connection on the pool owners property. If no connection exists, then a plumbing permit will be required from the city prior to installation of a direct connection to the sanitary sewer.
Solutions to prevent unlawful activity are to:
Discharge water into a sanitary sewer on your property
Replace your sand or DE filter with a cartridge filter
Precautions:
If discharging into sanitary sewer, ensure flow is low enough to prevent flooding of yours and neighbors property’s
Chlorine and bromine pool procedures:
Water may only be discharged to the storm drains only if it meets the following conditions.
Must be free of chemicals, debris, vegetation and algae;
Must have a pH between 6 and 9;
Chlorine or bromine concentration must be no more than 1ppm.
To help reduce chemical concentrations stop adding sanitizer 7 to 10 days before pumping down the pool.
Salt water pool procedures:
Must be discharged into a sanitary sewer.
To have a connection to your sanitary sewer or replace your sand filter with a cartridge filter contact PoolBoy and start making our city a cleaner place for all.
For more info see:
Mississauga Pool Water Brochure
You look out your window, you feel a chill run through your body and can just know its cold outside.
Its winter in Ontario and by now, your pool should be winterized and closed.
Typically there isn’t really much that must be done until spring but there are a few things you could do to make your opening quicker and easier.
**Tip – If your fitted cover has tightened and won’t go back in the coping, boil some water and pour it over the cover to help soften it and put it back in place.
Periodically checking on your pool will help protect your investment and speed up your opening.
In 2006 the City of Oakville introduced a new by-law requiring all new swimming pool builds, hot tub, pond or inflatable pool installations that exceed a depth of 2 feet to have a fence installed surrounding the pool or water fixture with a lockable gate.
The by-law was introduced to increase safety and to reduce the risk of drowning in and around swimming pools and water features. According to the Lifesaving Society of Canada, “drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in Canada for people 60 years of age and under. In fact, year after year the data shows that the majority of people who drown had no intention of going into the water - their immersion was sudden and unexpected.”
Before filling your new pool or opening your new water feature, make sure you’ve obtained the necessary permits and installed a fence and gate in the City of Oakville. For more information contact PoolBoy today.
Spring is here and it’s time to start thinking about removing the winter cover and getting our green pools cleaned up for some summer fun. When pumping off spring snowmelt water in Hamilton and Halton region(Burlington, Milton and Oakville), there are a few things we can do to ensure we are disposing of the water in an environmentally responsible way. The Hamilton Conservation authority recommends slowly dispersing water over your lawn or garden when possible. For some home owners this may or may not be a possibility due to landscaping or small lawns as the volume of water being removed is often too much for the lawn to handle. An alternative is to discharge over lawns before it makes its way to the storm sewers so as to reduce sediments and chemicals from making their way into local streams and water courses.
Other great resources for water use and your pool in Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville can be found at:
“Water restrictions in Halton”
“Environmental Concerns for Pool Season”
“Outdoor water conservation tips”
The City of Toronto has been leading the way in the province with pool waste water discharge with regards to best environmental practices. For more information check back soon for updated post or contact the service team at www.poolboy.ca
When disposing of swimming pool waste water, care should always be taken to ensure its done in an environmentally responsible way. Most swimming pool owners will require draining of their pools at time of pool opening and in the fall during their pool closing. Depending on what type of filter the pool has configured, they may also require disposal of additional waste water through the season when backwashing their sand or DE filters. The City of Mississauga, has set out specific guidelines on how to discharge your pools waste water for chlorine or bromine sanitized pools and saltwater pools.
Chlorine and Bromine sanitized pools:
- Cease any chemical addition 10 days before discharge and remove leaves and other debris.
- Direct a hose to a sanitary drain inside your home or discharge the water on your own property, being careful that the water flows away slowly and does not damage any neighbouring property. Never open sanitary manholes on roads.
- Direct the water, with the use of a hose of sufficient length, directly to the street or ditch in front of your home that flow into the municipal storm drainage system. Do not discharge pool water into ravines.
The City of Mississauga does not currently have any regulations for discharge of water from saltwater pools. It does however suggest that you:
- Direct the discharge from the pool to your nearest sanitary drain inside your house. Never open sanitary manholes on roads.
- Limit the size of the discharge hose from the pool to 5 cm (2 inches) or less in diameter.
- Discharge the water at a non-peak time such as evenings after 8 pm or weekends after 10 am.
For more up to date information visit the City’s website at City of Mississauga. Draining and backwashing swimming pools in an environmentally responsible way is every pool owners responsibility. To ensure your pool is managed properly this season contact the team at PoolBoy and schedule your Mississauga Pool Opening.
PoolBoy is Ontario’s first Green Pool Service Company.
You closed your pool for the winter. You or your pool service company did all the necessary work to protect it, but we all know that by opening time when all the snow has melted it never looks the same as it did when we closed it. Often the pool more closely resembles a swamp than the pristine oasis you’re used to looking at.
Keeping your winter cover free from debris and snow melt will simplify and significantly reduce the amount of time required to open your pool in the spring.
Here’s a few simple steps to follow:
Following these simple steps on that warm sunny spring weekend will help you complete your swimming pool opening when its time faster than ever before. Enjoy your day in the sun, and if you have any questions, concerns or would prefer to have someone else do it while you tend to your garden contact PoolBoy for some quick assistance.
Remember the old days when you could dump almost anything into the street sewers? I remember growing up and seeing everything from paint to motor oil being dumped at the curb, right into the sewers. Where it went from there wasn’t really our problem. I mean how many actually thought about where it went and what happened to it?
To homeowners with swimming pools, water was always thought of as a safe and natural product easily disposed of anywhere. Streets, drainage ditches, ravines, parks and valleys were common favorites. We never had to consider things like: alkalinity, ph, chlorine and chloride levels, or trace metals.
Lowering the pool water, to proper levels, to winterize your pool and protect your investment is an essential part of pool closing. If you live in Southern Ontario, special precautions have to be taken before draining your pool water. Municipalities now require you to dispose wastewater in an environmentally responsible way.
Salt water pools have been increasing in popularity over the years. Their combined environmental impact on our lakes and rivers has been of great concern. Leading the way, the city of Toronto has imposed strict guidelines for disposing of your wastewater.
An alternative this season instead of using harsh chemicals when closing your pool, consider using Eco-friendly products from manufacturers like Natural Chemistry.
Closing your pool properly and ensuring it’s done in an environmentally conscious way is every pool owner’s responsibility. If you’re looking for some professional help, PoolBoy can prepare and close your pool when its time.