Key facts
| City | First choice | Storm drain or street | Limits and extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Sanitary sewer | Prohibited (storm drains, ditches, streams) | Fallback: hold until chlorine and temperature acceptable, spread over permeable surface; report via ATL311 404-546-0311 |
| Los Angeles | Sewer cleanout with 1/4 inch screen | Never to driveway, gutter or storm drain | Pump up to 1 HP or 50 GPM; not within 24 h before or 48 h after rain; septic homes call a pro |
| Tampa | Dechlorinate first | Only after dechlorination | Softener discharge to sanitary sewer; report 813-274-3101 or EPC 813-627-2600 |
| Phoenix | Ground level sewer cleanout | Not to street, alley or right of way without a permit | 12 GPM max (pump about 700 GPH); saltwater and backwash prohibited to right of way; ROW permit only without cleanout, under 50 GPM and 1 ppm chlorine |
| Seattle | Dechlorinate first | Allowed only if dechlorinated (SMC 22.802.030) | Lawn or rain garden that soaks in is the simplest route |
Sources: Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, stormwater management; ATL311, sewer cleanout location; Office of Councilmember Traci Park, LA Sanitation pool drain protocol (February 17, 2025); City of Tampa Stormwater, illegal dumping; City of Phoenix, draining and backwashing your pool; Seattle Municipal Code 22.802.030.
Atlanta: sanitary sewer, or patience and a lawn
The Department of Watershed Management's stormwater page puts it in two steps. Discharge chlorinated pool water to the sanitary sewer. If you cannot, hold the water until the chlorine and temperature are at acceptable levels, then spread it over a permeable surface such as grass so it soaks in. Discharge to storm drains, ditches and streams is prohibited, and ATL311 takes reports at 404-546-0311. For the sewer route you need the cleanout. ATL311 says that in homes built within roughly the last 45 years it is usually near the front of the house, under the basement floor where the main drain leaves the building, or outside under the soil, where it may be buried. Uncover it before drain day.
Los Angeles: the screened cleanout protocol
In February 2025, Councilmember Traci Park's office published LA Sanitation's instructions for pools in fire affected Palisades neighborhoods. The protocol is the clearest written standard the city has published for draining treated water at a house, and it is strict. Never drain to a driveway, gutter or storm drain. Drain to the property's sewer cleanout, covered with a quarter inch screen, using a pump no bigger than 1 horsepower or 50 gallons per minute, and watch sinks and showers for signs of backup. Do not drain within 24 hours of forecast rain or for 48 hours after it, because the sewer system is busiest then. Homes on septic should hire a professional. The same notice says households that refill in the winter rainy season, typically October through April, may ask for a Sewer Service Charge adjustment at 1-800-540-0952.
Tampa: dechlorinate before anything reaches the storm sewer
The City of Tampa's stormwater page lists the right way to handle common discharges. For pools, the instruction is to dechlorinate before discharging to the storm sewer; for water softeners, discharge goes to the sanitary sewer. Stop adding chlorine or bromine a few days ahead or use a neutralizer, test with a strip, and then drain slowly across your own lawn so most of it soaks in. Illicit discharges can be reported to Tampa Stormwater at 813-274-3101 or the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County at 813-627-2600.
Phoenix: the 12 gallon per minute cap
Phoenix's draining and backwashing page says not to drain to the street, alley or right of way. A large drain goes to the property's sewer cleanout, usually a threaded cap 3 or 4 inches across, at no more than 12 gallons per minute, which is 720 gallons an hour. The city suggests a pump of about 700 gallons per hour and warns that a cleanout on the house wall is risky because a backup can flood indoors. Homes without a usable cleanout, such as those on septic, need a permit to discharge to the right of way, and even then flow must stay under 50 gallons per minute and chlorine under 1 part per million. Saltwater and filter backwash are prohibited in the right of way, so a salt system spa always goes to the cleanout. Refills during the January to March billing cycles cost less, and a spike in water use can affect the sewer fee Phoenix recalculates in July, with a Sewer Fee Review through MyPHX311 allowed within 60 days of the July bill.
Seattle: dechlorinated only
Seattle's stormwater code, SMC 22.802.030, lists the discharges allowed into the public drainage system, and swimming pool, spa and hot tub water is on that list only if it is dechlorinated. In practice that means letting sanitizer dissipate or neutralizing it, confirming with a test strip, and then draining slowly to a lawn or rain garden. Seattle's frequent rain means soil is often saturated in winter, so a dry spell is the better time to drain to grass.
Worked example: a 400 gallon hot tub and a 100 gallon cold plunge
A 400 gallon spa such as the MyHotTub Mazara takes a little over 33 minutes to empty at Phoenix's 12 gallon per minute cap, so a 700 gallon per hour pump is the right tool and a bigger one only risks a backup. The same tub in Los Angeles can go through a screened cleanout with a pump up to 50 gallons per minute, about 8 minutes at that limit, as long as no rain is forecast for the next day. In Atlanta, the first choice is the cleanout; if yours is buried and you cannot reach it, the tub can sit uncovered and undosed until chlorine tests near zero and the water reaches air temperature, then go out slowly across the lawn. A 100 gallon cold plunge is easier everywhere: in Tampa or Seattle, stop sanitizing, test, and drain to grass; in LA or Phoenix, a few minutes into the cleanout finishes the job.
Related guides
- How to drain a hot tub or cold plunge in Nashville and Charlotte
- Hot tub permits, barriers and covers in Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Phoenix
- Cold plunge chiller power and cost to run
- Hot tub permit rules by city
- How to drain a hot tub or cold plunge in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Reno
- Hot tubs in Atlanta: permits, power cost and draining
Frequently asked questions
Where should I drain a hot tub in Atlanta?
Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management says chlorinated water belongs in the sanitary sewer. If you cannot use the sewer, hold the water until chlorine and temperature are acceptable, then release it slowly over a permeable surface such as a lawn. Storm drains, ditches and streams are off limits.
Can I drain a hot tub into the street in Los Angeles?
No. LA Sanitation's published drain protocol says never drain to a driveway, gutter or storm drain. Use the property's sewer cleanout with a quarter inch screen and a pump no larger than 1 horsepower or 50 gallons per minute.
Is it legal to drain a dechlorinated hot tub to the storm drain in Tampa?
The City of Tampa's stormwater page says to dechlorinate pool water before discharging it to the storm sewer, so dechlorinated water is the line. Water softener discharge must go to the sanitary sewer instead.
How fast can I pump a hot tub into the cleanout in Phoenix?
No faster than 12 gallons per minute, or 720 gallons an hour. Phoenix suggests a pump of about 700 gallons per hour and warns against draining into a cleanout on a house wall, where a backup can flood indoors.
Can I drain a saltwater spa to the street in Phoenix?
No. Phoenix prohibits saltwater discharge and filter backwash to the right of way. Use the sewer cleanout.
What does Seattle allow into storm drains?
Seattle Municipal Code 22.802.030 allows swimming pool, spa and hot tub water into the drainage system only if it is dechlorinated.
Where is the sewer cleanout on an Atlanta house?
ATL311 says that in homes built in roughly the last 45 years it is usually near the front of the house, under the basement floor where the drain exits or outside under the soil, sometimes buried.
Should I drain before rain in Los Angeles?
No. The LA Sanitation protocol says not to drain within 24 hours of forecast rain or for 48 hours afterward.
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