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The hot weather has brought at least one new thing popping up in lawns around the area – on-ground swimming pools.

Add to the mix of 90 to 100 degree weather the availability of inexpensive backyard pool packages and it is the perfect combination for an influx of the blue, soft-sided round pools into area neighborhoods.

What many new pool owners may not know, however, is that most of these pools, known as on-ground pools, are covered under city ordinance.

Any pool that contains more than 24 inches of water requires a permit in all cities within the county. Some city ordinances are more strict – Lindstrom and Shafer ordinances state that all swimming pools require a building permit.

Recently, 51 warning letters were sent out to pool owners in Lindstrom, notifying them of the city ordinance.

Lindstrom, along with Taylors Falls, adopted the portion of state building code relating to swimming pools as their city code. Lindstrom added some stricter verbage to their code, but most cities in the area basically require the same thing – a building permit, along with fencing or a suitable barrier to prohibit unauthorized access.

Most cities in Chisago County require setbacks when constructing or placing a swimming pool in a yard, and require that pool water be pumped onto the owner’s property or into a drainageway or storm sewer.

If you are unsure what the regulations are for pools in your area, check with city hall. Most Chisago Lakes area cities have ordinances available to read and download on their web sites as well.

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