Burlington By-Law 5-2012

Burlington By-Law 74-2005

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

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.

1. Using a skimmer or leaf net to remove debris that falls onto your pool cover.
2. Using a small cover pump and hose you can pump some of the water off the top of the cover if it gets to high.
3. If covered with tarp and water-bag system, ensure bags are properly filled,  haven’t leaked out, and are still in proper position; end to end with no gaps so nothing can get under your cover.
4. If covered with a fitted/snap in cover, ensure bead is secured in the coping around the entire perimeter of the pool.
5. If covers are being weighed down and pulled into the pool, running a hose under the cover to bring up the pools water level can help release some of the tension.

**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.

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.

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”

“Pool Drainage”

“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

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.

1. If your cover is a traditional tarp and water bag system, make sure everything is still in place and has not fallen into the pool. Re-align the water bags and secure the cover to ensure the elements don’t make their way under the cover.
2. With the cover secure in place, pump down the surface water with a submersible pump to your closest storm sewer or slowly across your lawn.
3. Debris on the cover can be collected with your telescopic pole and a sturdy leaf net. If you have a composter this stuff is a great addition to your mulch.
4. Once the debris is removed you can get out your garden hose and start rinsing down the cover as you continue to pump it off.

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.

• The first step is to balance all your chemicals ensuring all including ph are within acceptable limits.  Generally if you follow the guidelines on your test kit and make sure your water is swimmable you’ll be fine.
• Next you need to ensure chlorine levels are neutralized. This can be easily accomplished using de-chlorinating tablets with a de-chlorinator.  Your de-chlorinator can be permanently installed in-line with your backwash line or temporarily setup at closing time with sump pump used to lower your pool.
• Keeping your backyard oasis from going green all summer is traditionally accomplished by adding Algaecides and Fungicides to your pool water once per week.  These products require special concern as they may contain copper, Nonylphenols (NPs) and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs).   Don’t sound like fun do they?  Check your label as they can be toxic to aquatic life.

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.