DeKalb Offers Tips for Conserving Water While Maintaining a Pool

DECATUR, Ga. – The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is reminding businesses and residents that the county is still under a Level 2 drought status. Under Drought Level 2 Response, pools can remain in use and can be filled as necessary.

DWM recommends the following practices to conserve water while maintaining a pool:

• Repair any visible leaks immediately.
• Wash cartridge filters when the pump operating pressure increases by 10 pounds per square inch. Never allow wash water to run off into a storm drain, stream or other natural water body.
• Maintain 78 degrees Fahrenheit as the ideal recreational pool temperature, since warmer water means higher evaporation rates.
• Plant trees and shrubs that buffer the pool, but won't shed or drop leaves in the water, since wind exposure can increase evaporation in uncovered pools. Additionally, invest in a pool cover, which will be required if a Level 3 Drought Response is declared.
• Determine if you have a leak or a high evaporation rate with this four-step bucket test:
  • Turn off the automatic fill valve.
  • Place a bucket on a step where the bucket rim is at least a few inches above the water line.
  • Place a heavy weight in the bucket and add water until the water level inside the bucket is equal with the water level in the pool.
  • Leave the bucket and pool undisturbed for several hot days, then compare the water level in the bucket to the water level in the pool.
  • Contact a pool leak detection specialist if the water level in the bucket is noticeably higher than the water level in the pool.  

The drought conditions in the metropolitan Atlanta area are expected to continue for the next three to five years. Because the metro area’s recent rains have not refilled the area’s water source, Lake Lanier, which feeds the Chattahoochee River, everyone is urged to conserve water.

For questions on the drought restrictions, contact DWM at DWM_ECMS@dekalbcountyga.gov or the Georgia Environmental Protection Division at 404-463-1511 or epd.drought@dnr.ga.gov.

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