Friday, March 29, 2024

Follow These 5 Steps For Pool Damage

It is likely that if you lost electrical power during the storm you also suffered damage to your pool or spa (motor, filter, valves, heater, fountain or pipes). If you have damage or suspect that you may have damage to your pool and/or spa the following steps are suggested:

  1. Turn off the power to the pool/spa at the circuit breaker if it is safe to do so (i.e. no standing water nearby).
  2. Contact your pool company or a quality contractor (licensed and insured) as soon as possible for a service call. (A service call may take a while given the volume of damaged pools in the region. Making matters worse, there was a shortage of pool parts prior to the storm due to COVID-19 and the high demand of people installing pools).
  3. If the damage to your pool or spa is related to the recent winter storm, your contractor should go ahead and make repairs first then file a permit application with the City Building Inspections Division after the work is completed (the City is allowing emergency repairs related to the storm to take place prior to permits being issued).
  4. Be sure that after your work is completed the contractor files a permit application with the City and requests an inspection by the City’s Building Inspection Division.
  5. Once an inspection is scheduled, staff from the City’s Building Inspections Division will come to your home and inspect the work completed to make sure it meets all required code and safety requirements.

If you have any questions regarding permit requirements, please call our Building Inspections Department at 817-748-8236 or 817-748-8237.

What to Know When Draining Your Pool This Summer

There are few better ways to celebrate summer than taking a swim in the pool. Before you dip your toes in your backyard oasis to beat the sizzling heat, consider how you plan to drain your pool. Watch a quick video on how to drain your pool correctly here.

Although pools aren’t required to be drained often, the storm sewer system in Southlake drains directly into a natural waterway. Chemicals such as chlorine and other substances can have a harmful impact on the environment and aquatic wildlife if pools aren’t drained properly.

To drain your pool, the first step is to dechlorinate.

To dechlorinate the pool naturally, allow natural sunlight to break down the chlorine over the course of 10 days and refrain from adding more chlorine to the water.

If you opt to dechlorinate your pool using chemicals, make sure the treatment can remove chloramines, especially if you’re using city water.

Next, decide where the excess water will drain to. There are two options: the lawn or sanitary sewer. Follow the steps below depending on the option you choose.

The Lawn:

  1. Dechlorinate your pool to less than 0.1 ppm (parts per million).
  2. Adjust the pH to fall between 6 and 8, if needed.
  3. Make sure the lawn is free of pet waste, natural debris and excess fertilizer to avoid polluting our local waters.
  4. Pump from the deepest location in the pool to allow the drainage to flow through your lawn to be filtered and absorbed.

The Sanitary Sewer System:

  1. Contact the City of Southlake Public Works Department at 817-748-8082 before you begin the draining process.
  2. Dechlorinate your pool to less than 3 ppm.
  3. Using the sanitary sewer cleanout on your property, the water may be discharged at any rate, not exceeding 50 gallons per minute.

For more information on draining your pool and preventing stormwater pollution, click here. Have a safe summer!

 

Don’t lose money on your water bill. Download “Eye on Water” and take charge of your water consumption.

Summer is officially here and in Texas, that means lots of hot, dry days.  We’re spending more and more time at the pool, playing in the sprinkler and running our irrigation systems to keep the yards in top shape. This also means higher water bills are on their way.  If you want to get ahead of the higher bills, the City of Southlake’s “Eye on Water” tool is just what you need to manage your household’s water consumption by offering you instant access to your real-time water usage.

Not sure how “Eye on Water” can help?  Think about it as a leak detection tool that you can use to monitor your water consumption for anomalies or spikes in usage when there should be none, identifying potential leaks both inside and outside of your home.

Irrigation systems get a big work out during the hot summer months.  Using “Eye on Water” can help you be sure the irrigation system is working correctly.  If you’ve noticed your consumption has gone up a lot more you expected, that could mean a leak in the irrigation. Just a tiny leak can waste a lot of water.

“Eye on Water” can also help you spot leaks inside your home. Just like a leak in the irrigation system, a leak inside can have a large impact on your water consumption. If you notice the numbers look off, contact us to get a free leak detection kit.

Understanding and taking control of your water usage is just a finger touch away.  Start by registering online at https://southlaketx.eyeonwater.com/signup and activating your account. Then download the app and you’re on your way!

Eye on Water Sign Up Fan

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about “Eye on Water” and managing your water usage, check out our website, give us a call at (817) 748-8051, or come and see us in person, at the Southlake Water Utilities Customer Service office in suite 200 on the second floor of Town Hall.