Drought Restrictions & Water Conservation

Let's Pool Together!

In early 2022, PHTA re-launched our drought awareness campaign, entitled Let's Pool Together. The campaign is aimed at educating the public and policymakers at state and local levels on the facts about water use in relation to swimming pools and home spas, as well as the economic, social, and public health implications of the pool and spa industry in California.

Outreach includes our consumer website, www.letspooltogether.com, designed to provide facts and resources for pool and spa owners such as water use statistics, conservation tips, and more. Marketing materials such as fact sheets, door hangers, billing inserts, and media kits are also available for industry professionals.

In addition to our consumer outreach, the California Pool & Spa Association (CPSA) and PHTA are also heavily involved at a legislative level, providing input and information to local city councils and water districts that have proposed restrictions on the use of public water to fill pools.

Water Conservation Awareness

Over the years, PHTA and CPSA have had to address false perceptions about pools and hot tubs and their water usage. This was in response to proposed bans on building or filling pools and hot tubs in times of drought. (Similar bans have also occurred in Georgia, Texas, and other localities.) In response, CPSA and other industry leaders have developed information on water conservation tips and provided accurate information on our water usage footprint. Outreach to government officials and water agencies have occurred to: (1) inform them of the true water usage, (2) explain how standards and codes have provided for products that provide for water conservation, and (3) describe the potential economic impact of restricting construction. It is imperative to get accurate information to officials early on and be proactive in addressing drought restrictions by providing information on industry water conservation tips.

Water conservation methods have grown in importance with drought restrictions having been put in place in areas across the country that have experienced extreme drought. The issue for the industry is how to prevent bans on building new pools and filling both new and existing pools and spas. PHTA and CPSA strongly support water conservation, and PHTA has developed an ANSI/APSP/ICC Water Conservation Standard and other water-saving tips to ensure officials have technically accurate rationale and consistent measures for states and code-making bodies to utilize. PHTA and CPSA oppose water restrictions that prohibit topping off pools because stagnant pools pose a significant health risk. Swimming pools also provide first responders with a water source in emergency situations.

• Resources
  • Drought Defense Fund
  • CPSA Drought Resource Toolkit: Take Action!
  • The Pool & Spa Industry: Part of the Drought Solution
  • The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Encourages Water Conservation: Facts About Pool Water Usage
  • Let's Pool Together Talking Points (customizable)
  • Water Conservation Tips for Pool and Spa Users
  • Hot Tubbers Are Water Wise: A Message to Hot Tub Owners
  • Bill Stuffer: Water Conservation
  • Door Hanger: Water Conservation
  • Draft form letter to city or water district
    • Can be used for hot tubs, swimming pools, or both to request reconsideration of a ban or ask for exemption from a ban under consideration
  • California Cities Could Shut Down Pool Construction Due to Drought (Printable/Shareable Flier)
  • Urgent: We Need Your Help! (Printable/Shareable Postcard)
• Additional Links
  • National Drought Mitigation Center
    Find the following topics on this web site:
    • What is Drought? Look here to find an overview of drought; climographs; historical Palmer maps and graphs; Drought and El Niño; and information on the Dust Bowl
    • Planning for Drought: Look here to find how (and why) to plan for drought; the 10-Step Planning Process; directory of drought planning contacts
    • Monitoring Drought: Look here to find how to select monitoring tools; the SPI; links to other tools on the web
    • Understanding Your Risk: Look here to find understanding drought's impacts; current and historical impacts in the U.S. and around the world
    • Mitigating Drought: Look here to find putting a drought plan together; existing drought plans and studies; drought mitigation tools/initiatives; water conservation
    • State Drought Plans and Related Documents
    • Directory of State Drought Contacts: Includes a directory of drought contacts for all 50 states.
  • U.S. Drought Monitor: Includes broad-scale drought conditions on a map of the United States.
  • NOAA Drought Information Center: Includes state-by-state information on drought conditions, seasonal drought outlook, and the Drought Calculator (to calculate the amount of rainfall needed to end droughts around the country).
  • APSP-13 Water Conservation Standard