Fish Found Dead In Arlington Killed By Chlorinated Pool Water: County

ARLINGTON, VA — Chlorinated pool water that was drained into Arlington County storm drains likely killed nearly 100 fish that were found dead in Four Mile Run last week, according to county officials.

The Arlington Department of Environmental Services said investigators determined “flawed seasonal pool care involving chlorine and overflow” led to the fish kill in Four Mile Run, between S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Taylor Street.

“Recent rains have now cleared the stream,” the department tweeted Monday.

Last Wednesday, the department said that it was investigating a fish kill in the Four Mile Run area. People and their pets were told not to enter the stream in the affected area.

The department said investigators traced the incident to a multifamily housing property where a large amount of chlorine had been added to a pool as part of seasonal maintenance.

"The water had been treated with an abundance of chlorine as part of late-season maintenance," Department of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin said in an email to Patch. "The owners and their pool service people have been very cooperative with the investigation and in making follow-up improvements so such an incident isn’t repeated."

Arlington residents and businesses should remember that there are no filters on the county's storm drains, according to the department.

"What goes down comes out in our streams and can work its way into the Potomac and the Chesapeake," Golkin said. "All sorts of daily issues, from yard waste falling into curb gutters to pet waste left unbagged to home car-washing and pool maintenance, can add up to a serious collective problem for the watershed."

The Department of Environmental Services said residents can drain their pools into a storm drain only if they have removed chlorine and bromine from the water.

“Swimming pool and spa water can have devastating effects on the health of our streams if not disposed of properly,” the department says on its website. “The chlorine, bromine, algaecides, cleaning chemicals and low oxygen levels can kill fish and other aquatic life in streams.”