Are you tired of your swimming pool? Why experts say it could be beneficial to remove it

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - As the fight to save water goes on have you ever considered removing your pool?

According to reports, 20% of single-household homes in Tucson are reported to have a built-in swimming pool.

Bradly Downs the Vice President of Custom Saw Cuts, Inc. tells 13 News more people in southern Arizona are considering removing their pools to save on energy, water, and unexpected costs.

He said the reason for removing a pool varies. One of the main reasons is more people are realizing their desire for a pool outweighs the need.

“A lot of people would want to get their pool removed mainly because of the expense of water nowadays,” Downs said. “Some people would want to convert, some people just outgrow them. The pumps and maintenance of the pools exceed what they want to spend in relation to actually how much they use it.”

Downs said he has been getting more calls from people wanting their pools gone.

“I definitely have more of an interest as water bills are increasing and we are getting closer to a drought,” Downs said.

According to Downs, the process to remove it is fairly simple.

“We like to saw cut down a few feet below the grade of the back yard and after that, we like to make some vertical, demo the pool decking, and start taking out the pool,” Downs said.

According to Joe Olsen, the General Manager of Metro Water, a typical pool needs around 30 thousand gallons of water to fill. He said homeowners spend close to $3,000 a year on maintenance.

“Your average 600 square foot pool, a modern size pool just the evaporation alone in the desert region is about 18,000 gallons a year,” Olsen said.

This is one of the reasons why Tucson Water, Oro Valley Water, Marana Water, and Metro Water are teaming up to show the community there is help.

“It’s good that individuals understand there is a cost-benefit for everything,” Olsen said. “Certainly right now with the situation on the Colorado River, I think at looking at any opportunity to conserve water, not mandate it.”

Now Olsen said it’s important to note, they are not asking or demanding anyone remove their pools from their yards. They just simply want to put the resource out there especially since water is such a precious resource in southern Arizona.

However, if you love your pool too much to even consider saying goodbye there are resources for you to consider which will help lower the costs of owning a pool.

For benefits, options, and a cost-saving estimator for removing your pool. A website has been created to help homeowners decide what their best option is: CLICK HERE.

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