Placer County Water Agency Could Nix Filling New Or Empty Pools

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — A local water district is telling customers that newly installed swimming pools may sit empty amid California's drought, a move some businesses say could cause them to go underwater.

Tiffany Mclean has finally installed a new pool in her Roseville backyard.

"We knew with the lot that we would always put a pool in," she said.

But for nearly 40,000 Placer County water customers, getting water into their new backyard oases could soon be a major challenge.

Jeff Grunden, the owner of Rocklin's Atlantis Pool and Spa, says he has major concerns about the Placer County Water Agency's recommendation to halt customers from filling up new or empty pools. The move is meant to save water due to the drought.

But Grunden says it will be another blow to his business in tough economic times.

"We lose out on the work, they're not able to get their pool, and we'll probably have to let some folks go," he said.

The PCWA, which services Rocklin, Auburn and much of the unincorporated county, decided to shelve the decision. But drought manager Tony Firenzi says a small pool takes about 15,000 gallons of the precious resource.