Opening Your Swimming Pool
There is no greater time as a pool owner than opening it for the first time. The main task at hand is, of course, to fill it with water. There are three water sources that you can choose to fill your new swimming pool:
- A fire hydrant
- Your home water
- A professional water hauler
If you live in a community that allows you to fill your pool from the fire hydrant, this is an efficient option. The City of Cleveland does offer this benefit to residents, but, there are some hoops to jump through. You must obtain a permit and inform your local fire department. Also, you will need to have your own hose, valve, and wrench to operate the hydrant.
The remaining two options are probably a more viable route to take. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to use a bulk water supplier or your own water. We recommend reading the pros and cons of each outlined in our article,;Filling Your Pool: Hose vs. Hauler.
Once you have made your decision, seek the approval of a swimming pool professional near you.
How Much Does Bulk Water Delivery Cost For My Pool
Most companies will quote the cost to fill your pool as a cents per gallon figure. If your estimate is one out the door price, calculate how much you are spending per gallon for a fair comparison. There is a rumor that some municipalities will offer a credit on your sewer bill for a pool filling. The claim makes sense since the water you are putting in your pool will not go down the sewer. But,;according to the City of Cleveland website, this claim is false.
There are many things to consider when deciding what method to use to fill your swimming pool. It will be different for commercial versus residential settings. But, it often comes down to time. The sooner you can be in your new pool, the better. Less downtime after a repair is optimal. Summer is short in Ohio; we think you should spend every second of it enjoying your swimming pool!
Cheers!
Distillata has been solving the water needs of Northeast Ohio businesses for over a century! You can contact our team today by calling us at;,;filling out a form, or visiting our facility at 1608 East 24th St, Cleveland, OH 44114.
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How Much Dirt Is There In A Hole 3 Feet Deep 6 Ft Long And 4ft Wide
A hole in the ground of 3 ft X 4 ft X 6 ft = 72 cubic feet. 72 cubic feet divided by 27 cubic foot per cubic yard = 2.6667 cubic Yards X +/- 4,000 pounds per cubic yard = 10,666.6667 pounds of dirt to move. 10,666.6667 pounds divided by 2,000 pounds per ton. This equates to 5.333 tons of dirt to haul off.
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Temporary / Hydrant Permit
In some instances, you may need a temporary source of water for a variety of uses. A non-permanent service connection requires a temporary/hydrant permit.;
There are two types of permits available: metered and estimated. Metered permits are only issued for long-term usage . All other permits are estimated by Cleveland Water. Please note: Customers in suburban communities;must also supply a copy of the approval letter from the fire chief of that suburb to use the hydrants.
Potential acceptable uses for a temporary/hydrant permit include:
- Construction
- Filling swimming pools or ponds
For Avoiding The Hassle Over Water Quality & Safety
Firefighters obtain the water to perform their duties from public open water resources.
These resources include ponds, lakes, rivers, etc. The water quality is not a factor for extinguishing a fire, but it is a factor when filling up swimming pools.
Moreover, it is hard to know how often the water tank and the water pipes of the fire truck are being cleaned or sanitized. Hence the hygiene and quality of the water stored in the water tank are of significant concern.
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The Use Of Such Valuable Equipment For Filling Pools Will Be Hard To Justify
New fire trucks having built-in ladders, water tanks, and other specialized equipment can be as expensive as $1 million. Of course, the expense can vary depending on various factors, but the vital thing to note is that the fire trucks sure dont come cheap!
Hence it is hard to justify using such valuable and expensive equipment, facilities, and gears for filling up swimming pools.
This justification is one of the prominent reasons why they avoid these sorts of services. But, in hindsight, this doesnt look like a good use of the publics money.
To Avoid Causing Damage To Your Swimming Pool
The fire trucks use water pumps that can pump water at extremely high pressures.
When the water of such intense pressure comes out of the tank and hits the swimming pools base, it can cause severe damage to it, like broken tiles or other equipment.
This activity can call for unaccounted repair charges and extra headaches. Thats another reason why fire stations keep themselves away from such activities.
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Do Firefighters Take Water From Pools For Firefighting
There is no legally established right for firefighters to take water from your pool to tackle a blaze but if you try to interfere with a firefighter doing so, youre in an ethically terrible position.;
Its a very rare thing for firefighters to need access to this much water outside of their normal use and its normally only done in the face of forest fires. Interfering with firefighting efforts of this nature can cause the loss and destruction of huge amounts of property and can even cost lives.;
Its no joke. If a firefighter needs your pool water let them have it.;
For more information about where firefighters get water, read: Water Sources: Where Firefighters Get Their Water
How To Tell If You Have A Leak
Because evaporation and splashout are so normal, it can be hard to tell if your pool has a leak. Heres a quick test:
If you have a leak in your pool, its important to get it fixed right away. Not only are leaks expensive, but they may damage your pool or property. Continually topping up the pool is not a good way to manage a leak.;
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Using Water From The Fire Department
This probably has to be one of the most exciting options on our list, but unfortunately its also one of the rarest. It used to be common enough for fire departments to fill swimming pools, but these days youre quite lucky if youre able to pull off a request. This could be less expensive than some of the alternatives as some departments will fill your pool or hot tub in exchange for a donation.
Regardless of the pool water delivery service you choose, make sure to follow these safety precautions to keep your pool in good shape throughout the process:
- Keep an eye on your pool to avoid overfilling
- Install the top rails of your pool and connectors before its half way full
- Monitor your pools liner to make sure its not coming loose or tearing
You can also protect your investment by using a pHin smart water monitor that monitors your water 24/7 and lets you know when it’s time to add chemicals.
Filling Up Pools Can Damage Their Public Image
The Job of the Firefighters is to protect and save people from adversity. Firefighters have proper respect in society and the public eyes. They are nothing short of heroes who come without capes.
Filling up pools that are also on private contracts can affect the respectful image of firefighters in a certain way. This public image, in the long run, can tarnish the reputation of their organization & give rise to unwanted discussions in public.
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City Water From A Fire Hydrant
As garden hose will take a while to fill the whole swimming pool, people are considering asking their local fire department to fill them using the fire hydrant.
It varies remarkably, as a different state has different laws or policies they abide. Some city offers it for free, but in some other places, they require some payment for the cost of the water, it can serve as the rent for the hose or access fee.
A fire hydrant can fill the swimming pool by 1,500 GPM, and it is not recommended to use full pressure as it might damage the pool itself.
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Pool Water Delivery: Where To Get Water To Fill Your Pool
- |July 26, 2019
The average swimming pool holds thousands of gallons of water. If youre new to owning a pool, you may be surprised at how expensive it can be to fill, and how often you need to add water to keep it full.
So where does all that pool water come from? And is there a way to save money on pool water? Lets take a closer look at pool water delivery, and find out your best options.;
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Fire Department: Sorry We Can’t Fill Your Pools
- The Daily News
News flash: the fire department will not send a truck to your house to fill up your swimming pool.
Thats the message Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue posted to its Facebook page Friday afternoon in response to receiving lots of calls over the past week requesting pool fill-ups.
The department outlined a number of reasons why it cannot fill pools:
For starters, it would take a unit out of service leaving citizens vulnerable if there was an actual fire.
The department cant give away a public utility such as water for free. It also wouldnt be able to justify the wear and tear on its vehicles.
Water from fire trucks is not potable or suitable for swimming. The department does not clean the inside of its tanks ever.
As a government agency, the department cannot take away work from private enterprises. There are companies who do this commercially, the department noted in its post.
The post concluded by asking Facebook users to comment with recommendations for other people looking to take advantage of the warm summer weather.
One Facebook user responded by posting: Why dont you suck your water out of the river…fire doesnt care what kind of water you use.
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue replied that drafting from rivers, ponds, and lakes could draw sediment and debris into its pumps.
Very expensive pump, the department wrote. Very expensive pumps that dont like debris or sediment.
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Fire Departments Can No Longer Fill A Swimming Pool Without Paying For The Water
By Mountain Eagle Staff | on May 22, 2019
Local fire departments will no longer be able to fill swimming pools with treated water without paying for it and will also have to tighten up procedures for accounting for the other treated water they use.
At the May meeting of the Board of Directors of the Letcher County Water and Sewer District, Manager Mark Lewis pointed to an announcement that appeared in The Mountain Eagle regarding filling swimming pools, and attributed it to the Kentucky Public Service Commissions new policy to tighten requirements on non-revenue water distributed by county districts. Lewis said a letter has also been sent to Letcher County Judge/ Executive Terry Adams regarding water use by fire departments.
In other business, Lewis reported that the City of Cumberland recently met with the Kentucky Department of Local Government in regard to funding for line upgrades that might allow it to serve water customers in the Cumberland River area of Letcher County. He said representatives from Cumberland reported the meeting as positive, and said they were instructed to have a purchase agreement for water between the city and the district on file in the event the upgrade was completed. He said Letcher County Attorney Jamie Hatton sent a contract for the purchase of water to Cumberland.
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The Three Main Reasons Not To Use A Fire Hydrant To Fill My Pool
There are three good reasons that you really dont want to fill a pool using a fire hydrant:
So, there you have it. Its never a good idea to use a fire hydrant to fill a pool. Its not designed for that purpose and you risk harming yourself, the hydrant, others and you risk your future with a possible criminal record. Dont do it. Its not worth it.;
Choosing City Or Municipal Water
Have you ever considered using municipal water to fill your pool or hot tub? If you have a septic tank in your home, you may save big and only be charged for the water fill and not municipal sewage fees. Make sure to dial in to your local city number or water company to find out if thats the case for you.
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Helping Someone To Get Their Pool Filled Can Set An Unwanted Precedent
Think about it. If they set an exception and help you fill up your swimming pool, they will set up a precedent. Hereon they wont be able to reject the request of others when they seek the fire stations service for filling up their pools.
If they keep up this practice, this may not look good for them in the public eye as this is not their primary role in society.
Can I Use A Fire Hydrant To Fill My Pool
In terms of the question as it stands, yes, you could technically use a fire hydrant to fill a pool. Thats because technically it is possible to use a fire hydrant to pump large volumes of water quickly into a swimming pool.
Its a bad question though because the right question should be, Is it OK to use a fire hydrant to fill my pool? and the answer to that question is categorically, No. Its not OK. In fact, its an absolutely terrible idea and it could end up causing you an injury or worse.
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