The size of your swimming pool, the amount of water pressure, and the region and state you live in you will determine the cost of a gallon of water and how long it’ll take to fill your swimming pool. How Much Does it Cost to Fill a Pool with Water?
Garden Hose
simplest-$4-$10 per 1,000 gals.
subject to time & Restrictions
Well Water
subject to costs of well pump, testing, treating
Pool Water Delivery Service
fastest-costs-$200-$600 per/truckload or $800-$2,400 to fill a 20,000-gallon pool
Fire Department
fast-$300 to $600 for approximately 5,000 gals.
These costs of filling your swimming pool are averaged out throughout the country and are all subject to any restrictions that occur because of drought or anything that determines the ongoing price change of water.
How Much Does it Cost to Fill a Pool With Water
Cost is different with variables here is a ballpark estimate:
- Garden Hose: $50 – $100
- Well Water: $25-$50
- Well water is free, but this covers the cost to run the private well pump and water softener
- Pool Water Delivery Service: $300 – $500
- Fire Hydrant (Fire Department): Varies; contact your local fire department
City Water from Garden Hose
The cost to fill a pool with water is $40 to $2,000, depending on the swimming pool size and water source. Filling a pool with water costs $4 to $10 per 1,000 gallons from a garden hose could be $30 to $100 per 1,000 gallons for pool owner from a pool water delivery service.
Average Costs: Delivery Service-Fill Pool for Homeowner
Fire Department
They typically charge about $200 per 7,000 gallons pumped, which may not sound like much, but for an ordinary-sized pool, you may need 30,000 gallons to fill a pool!
Private Well Water-Filling your pool with few drawbacks of using well water to fill your swimming pool are:
- Untreated well water can contain high levels of sulfur and excess minerals in a pool, making it harder than tap water
- Using well water to fill your pool causes your water softener and a good pump to work harder, wearing it down faster
- If you use too much water filling the pool and run you’re well dry, it’s expensive to drill a new well
Costs to Fill Inground Pools With City Water
Pool water delivery costs $200 to $600 per truckload or $800 to $2,400 to fill an average 20,000-gallon pool. Most city water trucks carry 6,000 gallons of water and deliver multiple loads to fill a pool. How much water costs to fill pools will vary throughout the country where water services are available.
| Pool size (gallons) | Truckloads needed | Average total cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | 1 | $200 – $600 |
| 10,000 | 2 | $400 – $1,200 |
| 15,000 | 3 | $600 – $1,800 |
| 20,000 | 3 – 4 | $600 – $2,400 |
| 25,000 | 4 – 5 | $800 – $3,000 |
| 30,000 | 5 | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| 35,000 | 6 | $1,200 – $3,600 |
| 40,000 | 7 | $1,400 – $4,200 |
Knowing how many gallons of water are in your pool is important for determining things like the right amount of chemicals to add, heater size, and so many other decisions. Use my calculator below to get started. Use a Pool Calculator to determine how many gallons of water you need to fill your swimming pool.
Homeowners fill their swimming pool with a garden hose or pay for a water delivery service. In some small towns, the local fire department may empty a fire hydrant or flush their tanker into the pool for a minimal fee or donation.
Just how much does it cost to fill a pool with water even in smaller above-ground pools or a hot tub, there is still usually a water delivery charge.
Circular Pool Cost Formula
Diameter Length (A) x Diameter Length (B) x Depth x 5.9 = Total Water Volume of pool
Rectangular Pool Cost Formula
Length (A) x Length (B) x Depth x 7.5 = Total Water Volume of pool
Note: If your pool has shallow and deep ends, you should calculate the average depth to determine how much water the pool holds.
A record of your pool’s dimensions will make it easier to figure out how much water is necessary to fill it up.
Cost of Filling Your Pool with Well Water
This works in some areas. If you don’t trust your well, on average, it will cost about $400 to fill a 20,000-gallon pool using a good water company that will deliver drinking water.
If you’re someone with access to private well water on your land, then you can use it to fill your swimming pool. The main challenge is having enough well water to fill your swimming pool. It could run out in the middle of filling your pool.
After verifying that your well has enough water to fill your pool, expect the process to take about 48-72 hours.
Beyond that, a few drawbacks of using well water to fill your swimming pool are:
- Untreated well water can contain high levels of sulfur and excess minerals, making it harder than tap water
- Using well water to fill your pool causes your water softener and a private well pump to work harder, wearing it down faster
- If you use too much water and run you’re well dry, it’s expensive to drill a new well
The Fastest Way to Filling Your Pool
What Is The Fastest Way To Fill A Big Pool?
The fastest way to fill a big pool is by using a water delivery service or a city fire hydrant. Note that using city fire hydrants to fill your swimming pool requires special permission from your local fire department, and rules differ from state to state. Do check with your City government.
Some fire departments will still fill swimming pools, but most could charge a fee. Typically, the fee will range anywhere from $300 to $600 for approximately 5,000 gallons per pool. These days the price of water is not what it used to be. A fire hydrant delivers up to 1,500 gallons of water per minute, which means it can fill a 15,000-gallon swimming pool in just over 10 minutes.
Pool Water Delivery Service-This method is the most expensive, and costs increase based on the size of your pool or any balancing or pre-treating options.
Some of these companies even offer treated or filtered water or pre-chlorinated water that will save you time in testing and balancing your pool. In some cities with water shortages or rationing, a water delivery service may be your only option. This method is the most expensive, and costs increase based on the size of your pool or any special balancing or pre-treating water options.
As far as the time, they are fast Pool Water Delivery Services are really fast but really expensive Most pool water delivery tanks carry 6,000-8,000 gallons or more of water and are charged by the tank. A standard pool can be filled within a couple of hours.
Average Cost of 1000 gallons of City Water
The average price of water in the United States is about $1.50 per 1,000 gallons. At that price, a gallon of water costs less than one penny. In the United States, water prices vary 
greatly depending on the region and service provider. How much does it cost to fill an inground pool? The process could be expensive.
On a national average, residential customers pay around $54 per month for water and sewer services combined. In some parts of the country, such as California, residents may pay upwards of $84 per month for the same services on their water bill.
Alaska has the most expensive water costs of any state at $95 per month, followed by West Virginia at $72. The ten states with the least expensive water prices are Florida ($6), Wisconsin ($18), Vermont ($18), Maine ($19), North Carolina ($20), Arkansas ($22), District of Columbia ($22), Mississippi ($23), Nebraska ($23), and South Dakota ($24).
States with the highest price water price:
1. West Virginia – $91
2. California – $77
3. Oregon – $76
4. Washington – $75
5. New Jersey – $72
6. Connecticut – $69
7. Alaska – $68
8. Arizona – $64
9. Hawaii – $64
10. Wyoming – $53
Without a doubt, the cost of average water bill costs will vary according to the state, zip code, and region you live. As the case may be, your bill may probably increase or decrease if you change your location, even if your average monthly cost and usage remain the same.
Time it Takes Filling an Inground Pool with a Garden Hose
If homeowners are looking for the cheapest costs to fill up their pools, use a garden hose and city tap water for filling a swimming pool.
The average garden hose pumps out 8 to 9 gallons of water per minute though it can vary from 4 to 12 gallons of water. If you’re wondering how long it takes to fill up a pool with a garden hose, it takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to fill an average pool. To find out exactly, follow the directions.
The best method to know how long it would take you to fill your pool. Determine the pool’s dimensions and capacity of your inground or above-ground swimming pool and how much water it takes to fill it.
Figure out the size of the pool or use the manufacturer’s specs.
Figure out the volume in gallons of water cost to fill a pool. Say it’s 10,000-gallon pool water. (These are the same dimensions used to determine pool cleaners, cleaning, and chemical addition for the pool water)
Figure how long it would take to fill your pool
Run a Bucket test:
- Turn on the water 1/2 way it will be more consistent
- Run the hose water into a 5-gallon bucket
- Time how fast it takes to fill the water bucket
- Then use the equation If you want to determine the number of seconds that make up a day, you have to start by calculating the smallest time measurement unit. There are 60 seconds in one minute, and 60 minutes makeup one hour.
*60 sec. in a minute-3600 sec. in an hour–86,400 sec. in a day–Divide the equation by 5 gallons of water
Since there are 24 hours in a day, we first calculate the number of seconds in one hour and then multiply the value by 24 hours.
- If it takes 50 sec. to fill the 5 gals. bucket of water, then;
- 50 sec. / by 5 gal bucket = 1 gal of water per 10 seconds.
- The garden hose is running at 6 gallons per minute x 60 = 360 gals per hour x 24 hrs.= 8,640 gals. per day
A 10,000-gallon pool – 8640 per day = 1,360 gallons / by 360 = 7.8 hrs.
24 hrs + 7.8 hrs = approx 32. hrs. to fill the 10,000 gal pool
Now is the time to fill or refill a pool. You have a few options discussed here in this article, from water delivery, Fire Hydrant delivered by the Fire Department, and Private wells to City water from a garden hose.
It’s a great idea to check first with your local water utility, no matter what your plans are, to see if they have any relevant regulations or if they offer sewer fee discounts from your water bill or help with filling a pool. This is a small secret that nobody talks about that can save you a lot of money.
As your new pool construction paint or repair trickles toward the finish line, you might wonder how long it takes to fill a pool. Unfortunately, you can’t jump right in. Filling a pool takes a little patience, but the actual timing depends on the pool size and your method. Here’s everything you need to know.
Most homes have a water pressure between 40 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch), but it depends on several factors. Gravity causes water pressure, which is why utility companies store their water in tall water towers.
Your home’s water pressure usually depends on the distance in elevation between your city’s water tank and your home, and your pool. The width of the pipes in your home and the width of your hose.
Above-Ground Swimming Pool Water Delivery
How much could or would cost to fill a smaller capacity-vinal above-ground backyard pool using the same as an inground concrete pool with the same delivery services? It’s just as expensive, just fewer gallons of city water.
| Pool size | Gallons | Truckloads | Average total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12′ round | 3,000 | 1 | $200 – $600 |
| 15′ round | 5,000 | 1 | $200 – $600 |
| 21′ round or 12’x24′ | 10,000 | 2 | $400 – $1,200 |
| 25′ round or 14’x28′ | 15,000 | 3 | $600 – $1,800 |
| 30′ round or 16’x34′ | 20,000 | 3 – 4 | $600 – $2,400 |
| 18’x36′ | 25,000 | 4 – 5 | $800 – $3,000 |
| 20’x40′ | 30,000 | 5 | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| 20’x44′ | 35,000 | 6 | $1,200 – $3,600 |
| 24’x44′ | 40,000 | 7 | $1,400 – $4,200 |
JimGalloway Author/Editor
References: Home Advisor Angi- The Cost of Filling a Pool
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