South San Francisco, CA June 23, 2015
A neighbor contacted us with concerns of open standing water from a neighbors swimming pool that has not been properly drained or covered. While her concern was two fold, it seems a worthy conversation to share with our larger community.
Shelley Pedersen had let her pup out in her yard for a short time only to find the pup missing. After a quick search she found her dog had escaped through a broken fence and fallen into the neighbor’s pool. As a renter, Ms Pedersen has brought this issue to her landlord yet it also is the responsibility of the neighbor to keep the swimming pool locked securely with protective fencing. In addition the pool, as pictured below, needs to be drained and/or covered to prevent a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects.
A good neighbor, Rachel Pigman Warren, suggested contacting the ‘ The San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District as it is San Mateo County’s community-based mosquito control program (www.smcmad.org). This program uses different methods to help control the risk of disease in San Mateo County, including surveillance, prevention and control of mosquito populations.’
If you should see an similar situation, or any area with standing water, please contact the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District at 650/344.8592 so the mosquito concern can be addressed. In addition we recommend contacting Tom Carney with SSF Code Enforcement as the City has additional resources should the neighbors not be able to maintain the area. Mr. Carney can be reached at Tom.Carney@ssf.net
A neighbor’s fence is broken that leads to this undrained swimming pool.
Photo: Shelley Pedersen