I hear you on the rain barrel thing. We tried that route a few years back, thinking we’d save water for the garden. Instead, we basically built a mosquito resort—those little vampires moved in faster than I could find the bug spray. Sealed cisterns are smarter, but man, they’re not cheap, and my backyard already looks like a yard sale half the time. Hiding one under a bench is clever though... might steal that idea if I ever get fancy.
About dry wells—I’ve got one of those buried plastic barrel types. Works okay if you’re just draining off a bit here and there, but when we drained the pool after a storm, it filled up so quick the ground turned into a mud wrestling pit. My dog loved it. My wife? Not so much. If you go that route, I’d say make sure your soil drains well, or you’ll end up with a swampy mess. Sometimes I wonder if it’d be easier just to buy more towels and let the kids cannonball the water out.
Sometimes I wonder if it’d be easier just to buy more towels and let the kids cannonball the water out.
That gave me a laugh—honestly, sometimes the low-tech solutions are the least headache. I’ve seen folks try to run pool water out to the street with a long hose, but if your yard’s got any slope, you end up with a river cutting through your lawn. Had a client once who tried to dig a little “creek” for drainage... turned into a mudslide after the first big rain. Have you ever tried just slowly draining over a few days instead of all at once? Curious if that helps or just drags out the mess.
Honestly, I’m not convinced the slow drain method is all that helpful. Tried it last year thinking it’d be less of a mess, but it just left soggy patches for days and the grass still got trashed. Plus, if you’re on a water meter, that trickle can add up if you’re not careful. I’d rather deal with one big cleanup than drag it out all week. Maybe there’s a way to reuse the water for the garden or something? Feels like such a waste otherwise...
I hear you on the slow drain—it sounds good in theory, but in practice, it can just turn the yard into a swamp. One thing that’s worked for a few of my clients is using a submersible pump with a long hose to direct the water to a spot that can handle it, like a gravel bed or even into rain barrels for garden use. It’s not perfect, but it does cut down on the mess and makes the water feel less wasted. If you’ve got any slope in your yard, gravity can help too. It’s a bit of setup, but it beats dealing with soggy grass for a week.
One thing that’s worked for a few of my clients is using a submersible pump with a long hose to direct the water to a spot that can handle it, like a gravel bed or even into rain barrels for garden use.
That’s a solid approach, especially if you’ve got a spot in the yard that can actually absorb the extra water. I’ve seen people try to just let the pool drain slowly onto the lawn, and it almost always ends up with muddy footprints tracked inside for days. Not ideal.
If you’re open to a bit of a project, you might want to look into creating a simple French drain system. It’s not as complicated as it sounds—basically, you dig a shallow trench, lay down some landscape fabric, fill it with gravel, and then run your hose into that. The gravel helps disperse the water and keeps it from pooling in one spot. It’s especially helpful if you’ve got clay soil that doesn’t drain well.
Rain barrels are great too, but just be careful about what kind of pool chemicals you’ve used recently. Chlorine-heavy water isn’t the best for plants, so if you’re planning to reuse it in the garden, maybe let the pool sit uncovered for a few days first to let the chlorine dissipate.
One thing I’d add—if you have any hardscaping near the pool (like a patio or walkway), try to keep the water away from those areas. I’ve seen pavers shift or get stained when they’re exposed to too much runoff. Directing the water toward a gravel bed or even a mulched area is usually safer.
It’s a bit of extra work upfront, but it saves you from having to deal with soggy grass and mud inside the house. And honestly, it’s less stressful than trying to fix water damage later on.