Pool professionals in the Wichita Falls area are bracing for impending Stage 5 water restrictions, which were approved in a city council meeting Tuesday.
The restrictions take effect when lakes fall to 25 percent full; currently, lakes are at 26 percent and are expected to hit 25 percent in three to four weeks.
According to restriction guidelines, pools cannot be filled unless the pool owner uses well water or pays to have water hauled in. Hot tubs, spas and indoor pools in public establishments are exempt from the restriction. (And car washes are still OK until lakes fall to 20 percent.)
One pool company owner is already changing his business strategy to accommodate the water restrictions.
"We have purchased a water retainage system to drain the pools that we need to work on. We can retain the water and when we get complete with the job we can pump their water back into their pool at a very minimal cost," says Allen Hatcher, owner of Hatcher Pools.
Hatcher also plans to focus more on service work, liner replacements in particular, to keep his business afloat.
