We want to take down an 18' oval above ground pool. Is the water (treated for winter) worth saving? If it is drained, how should we do it? Will it adversely affect grass and plants? Thanks for any help.

How dirty is the water and was the pool covered in the winter.

Are you on a well?

At best I would drain only 1/4 to 1/2 of it and refill.

I have in ground pool and I don't drain that. So above or below its pool water.

Drained my pool to lower for the winter and grass is always fine for me. Usually the crap and rain water that gets into the pool neutralizes the water there and it more benign

The water is treated with winterizing chemicals. We are taking down the pool and not refilling it. We do not have a well. Question of how and where to dispose of water. SHould we let it drain into lawn and edging that has plants, trees, shrubs?

I am assuming you are tossing or recycling the aluminium so just poke several holes in the side wall right at the ground level, you could even use a hatchet. Let the water drain out, it may takes days but its "winterizng Chemicals" are pretty mush spent by now.

Thanks. I was thinking along the same lines. We do want to preserve the pool structure and take it down so it may possibly be reused. Where the liner is ten years old and would need to be replaced, I had thought to poke holes in it along the inside perimeter and let it slowly drain into the sand underneath. Figure it should take some time.

If you plan to save the walls then put a garden hose in the pool with about 5 ' laying coiled on the pool floor. Run the rest of the hose over the rail and lay flat into the back yard. Get the hose to start to siphon either by sucking on the yard end of the hose or use a pump just to get it started. This siphon should drain 99.9% of the pool.