June 5, 2014.
Uh-oh…Is that swimming pool water draining into Joe’s Creek?
Sad to say, there have been several sightings recently in our neighborhood of swimming pool water being drained to curbsides. What’s so sad about that? From the curb the effluent goes into storm drains and from there to Joe’s Creek. That’s the creek where our children wade and splash and look for tadpoles. The same creek where we enjoy watching the ducklings waddling after their moms, the dragonflies, wafting among the rocks and rushes, hunting down mosquito larva for lunch. When pool water goes into the creek without the proper treatment to neutralize its chemicals, it can create hazards for the creek and its residents and visitors. The chemicals spread from our neighborhood to every waterway on its trip to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.Pool owners need to know that the City of Dallas takes draining of untreated pool water to city streets very seriously. Everyone in our area should know that inspectors are on-call to respond promptly to a report of improper pool draining. The fine for violations can be as much as $2,000-not a trivial amount by any means. Please inform your pool service companies too.
If you see pool discharges or other polluting materials such as paint or pesticides draining to curbs and storm water drains, please follow these instructions immediately:
- Note the address and the street names at the nearest intersection.
- Immediately dial 311 and wait a few seconds for the recorded message asking you to describe the problem and location, plus your contact information. You will receive a call to confirm the report and the information, and help will soon be on the way.