How do I drain or backwash a pool in Mesa or Chandler?

The City of Mesa lists three places, in this order of preference.

• Your yard. Let the water soak into your own landscape or rock areas. Don't let it run onto a neighbor's lot. Mesa says no notification or permit is needed to drain on your own property.
• Your sewer cleanout. You can drain or backwash into the sanitary sewer cleanout on your property, again with no permit or notification. Never drain into or toward a sewer manhole in the street.
• Not the storm drain. Mesa discourages pool water in its storm sewer, and says doing so may violate Mesa City Code Title 8, Chapter 6, Section 8-6-3(P). The one exception is a release that meets the conditions of ADEQ's De Minimis permit, does not flood the street, and does not sit and breed mosquitoes.

Mesa also sets water quality targets. Before you drain to the sewer, the water should be near neutral, a pH of 6 to 8. If you plan to drain onto plants, wait 3 to 7 days after the last chemical treatment so the chlorine can dissipate, and aim for a pH of 7 to 8. Water from acid washing, replastering or similar repairs may not go to either sewer system; the owner has to make sure the repair company handles it.

Chandler's rule reads much the same. The city prefers that all pool and spa water stay on private property or go into the sanitary sewer cleanout at the home, and it calls your landscape the best place to drain. No permit is needed for either one.

What Chandler prohibits is a pipe hard plumbed to discharge off the property, out to the street. The city treats that as a direct connection to the storm drain. If you cannot find your sewer cleanout, Chandler says you can ask for an exception to drain into the street. Call the city's Environmental Management office at 480-782-3503 before you do.

The cleanout is the capped opening that lets you reach the sewer line. Mesa describes it as a black threaded cap about 3 to 4 inches across, usually at ground level next to the house. Many newer homes have two. Mesa says to pick the one closest to the home. Using a cleanout inside a wall is risky, because the chance of water backing up goes up.

Put the hose in the cleanout, start the pump, and watch the house for the first few minutes. Check the lowest drains first, such as a tub or shower. If water starts coming up in a drain, turn the pump off.

Both cities recommend no more than about 12 gallons per minute. Mesa adds that a pump rated near 700 gallons per hour is about the right size. Some submersible pumps push water faster than a house sewer can carry it, which is how pool water ends up in a bathtub or the yard. Chandler notes the safe rate can vary from home to home and suggests asking a plumber.

Both cities also say not to leave the drain hose in place as a permanent fixture. Mesa says a permanent line may break Mesa plumbing codes or County health rules, and could contaminate the pool when you refill it. Chandler says it may violate the City plumbing code or County health regulations.

A sewer line that backs up at 12 gallons per minute is telling you something. A house sewer in good shape carries that flow without trouble, so water rising in a tub or shower usually means a partial clog, roots or a sag somewhere in the line. Stop pumping before you finish the job. Then have the line cleared.

HQ Plumbing & Air does drain cleaning for homes in Mesa, Chandler and across the Valley, with a machine sized for the drain. When a line keeps backing up, a sewer camera inspection run from the cleanout shows what is in the pipe and where, before anyone digs. If you are in Phoenix instead, the rules differ; see how to drain or backwash a pool in Phoenix. You can also read more about plumbing in Mesa and Chandler.

• Do I need a permit to drain my pool in Mesa? No, not when you drain onto your own property or into your sewer cleanout.
• Do I need a permit in Chandler? No, for the same two places. A street discharge needs the city's exception first.
• Can I backwash into the street? No. Both cities keep pool water out of the street and the storm drain, outside Mesa's ADEQ De Minimis exception.
• What if I just replastered or acid washed? Repair water from acid washing or replastering cannot go to either sewer in Mesa. Ask the city first in either town.
• Who do I call with a question? Mesa's environmental office is at 480-644-3599. Chandler's Environmental Management office is at 480-782-3503.