Why Bluffdale pools need more than a dump-and-fill
Pulling out a pool is the easy part. What matters is the ground left behind, because it has to carry a lawn, a patio, or a whole new building for decades. A pool that is crushed in place and covered with loose dirt can keep settling for years, leaving sinkholes, standing water, and cracked slabs.
The ground under most Bluffdale yards is sandy loam to hardpan. Rock and hardpan are slow to dig and slow to drain. Water that gets into the backfill can sit on the hard layer underneath, so draining the old pool floor matters as much as the fill above it.
Backfill and drainage in Bluffdale
Point of the Mountain wind and dust control: that's the site condition we plan around first in Bluffdale, because it shapes how we dig, drain, and fill the hole. For the backfill itself, we place fill in thin lifts and compact each one to 95% of its maximum dry density under the Modified Proctor test (ASTM D1557), the standard engineers use for ground that will carry structures.
Building where the pool was
In Bluffdale, a big part of what's driving pool removals is equestrian to residential lot conversion. If an ADU, garage, or addition is going where the pool was, the ground under its footings has to be solid. A partial removal leaves broken concrete in the ground, which works under a lawn but is a poor base for a foundation. For any structure, we recommend full removal with compaction that can be tested and documented for your permit.
Engineers and building departments commonly call for fill under new footings to be compacted to at least 95% of the Modified Proctor maximum dry density (ASTM D1557), confirmed with field density tests as each lift goes in. That's already the spec we build to here, so the old pool site is ready for the testing your ADU permit may require.
Water, utilities, and selling your home
Before demolition, the pool has to be drained legally. The rule we follow in Bluffdale: De-chlorinate below 0.1 ppm before storm drain discharge; max 30 GPM. Some cities send pool water to the sanitary sewer instead of the storm drain, so we confirm which applies before the pump goes in.
Most in-ground pools also have a gas heater and a dedicated electrical sub-panel.Utilities in Bluffdale are Enbridge Gas Utah (formerly Dominion Energy) gas and Rocky Mountain Power electric. Licensed trades cap the gas line and lock out the pool circuits before the excavator arrives.
If you plan to sell, the paperwork matters too. The Utah Seller's Property Condition Disclosure asks sellers to disclose known buried debris, fill, and settling. A partial fill-in leaves broken concrete in the ground, and a buyer's inspector or lender may flag it. Full removal with a compaction report gives you documentation instead of a disclosure question.
Permits and disposal in Salt Lake County
Bluffdale is in Salt Lake County. One local hurdle to plan for: Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) Pre-Demolition Asbestos Inspection. We go over it during the free site visit and build it into the schedule, so it doesn't stall the job halfway through. Debris from Bluffdale jobs is hauled to Trans-Jordan Landfill, and clean concrete from full removals goes to recycling.
Older pools can contain asbestos in places you wouldn't expect, such as some plaster finishes, deck and coping materials, and asbestos-cement drain or return pipes. Before any concrete is broken, a Utah-certified asbestos inspector checks the pool and deck. If anything turns up, a licensed abatement contractor removes it before demolition starts, and that step is scheduled ahead of time so the job doesn't stall.