Friday, December 2, 2011
Drain your pool wisely.
District of Columbia law prohibits the discharge of swimming pool water onto public or park space. The penalty for a first offense is up to
$1,000, and doubles for each subsequent offense. The municipal separate storm sewer system, or MS4, was designed to handle runoff
from rain and snow only. The MS4 pipes water directly into receiving rivers and streams. If this water contains chlorine, it can kill aquatic life. Swimming pool water must be discharged into a sanitary sewer system that meets the standards of the District of Columbia plumbing codes and District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority pretreatment program.