--- description: In a state well-known for its summer weather, ongoing drought forces California to rethink swimming pools. title: California Towns Restrict Swimming Pools Because of Drought image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f85c7f0aa5da68a/69878601428a9e29a4cc7e39/california-pool-drought.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Environment](/tag/environment/) ## Environment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # California Towns Restrict Swimming Pools Because of Drought by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 31, 2015 3:47 PM CUT  A man stands in an empty public swimming pool in Burbank, Los Angeles, California. A man stands in an empty public swimming pool in Burbank, Los Angeles, California.Lucy Nicholson—Reuters by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 31, 2015 3:47 PM CUT Swimmin’ pools. Movie stars. Well, maybe just the movie stars now, thanks to the drought. Pools have been part of [California’s](http://www.cnbc.com/id/10000551 "undefined") lifestyle for decades, but as the state struggles through its fourth year of a worsening drought, communities are putting bans on filling pools or restricting new pool construction. A handful of cities and water districts statewide have implemented restrictions on swimming pools, ranging from moratoriums on swimming pool construction to restrictions on draining and refilling pools. The [California Pool and Spa Association](http://thecpsa.org/ "undefined"), a trade group, has responded to restrictions with a “Let’s Pool Together” campaign that gives consumers tips… [Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/drought-worsens-restrictions-pools-rise-california-n333111?cid=par-time-article%5F20141002 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3765189/drought-pools-california/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3765189/drought-pools-california/"},"headline":"California Towns Restrict Swimming Pools Because of Drought","datePublished":"2015-03-31T15:47:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T05:34:43.248Z","description":"At least one community banned construction of new swimming pools","url":"https://time.com/3765189/drought-pools-california/","keywords":["Environment","California","Drought"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f85c7f0aa5da68a/69878601428a9e29a4cc7e39/california-pool-drought.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f85c7f0aa5da68a/69878601428a9e29a4cc7e39/california-pool-drought.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"A man stands in an empty public swimming pool in Burbank, Los Angeles, California.","caption":"A man stands in an empty public swimming pool in Burbank, Los Angeles, California.","creditText":"Lucy Nicholson—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3765189/drought-pools-california/","name":"California Towns Restrict Swimming Pools Because of Drought"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch: A Timelapse of Climate Change","description":"Climate Change","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/ywHiuC83/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2013-05-09T17:46:05.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ywHiuC83.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3765189/drought-pools-california/","duration":"PT48S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3765189/drought-pools-california/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```