Hm-mh. I just processed your registration and upgraded your membership -- you included your address, and Google Maps has a high res of your pool . . . SO I can see ground water won't be a problem. Unless you've just had a flash flood, you can drain safely.

Unless water is very expensive, or there are no-drain rules in place It would certainly be easier to drain, than to do lime-softening.

But, lime softening would probably be cheaper . . . IF you have a way to vacuum to waste. What will happen is you'll deposit lime dust all over the bottom of your pool, and then have to vacuum it out, dumping it on the ground. Afterwards, you'll have VERY high alkalinity, and will have to lower it. You'll probably replace a foot of water.

However, this will NOT lower your CYA more than what would be removed with 1 foot of water, so we need a better idea on your real CYA level. The only practical way to lower CYA is to let it be biodegraded, which means DELIBERATELY letting your pool get slimy for several weeks. Even then, it's a crap shoot -- with no guarantees. The right bacteria may not show up, OR you may find that the CYA degrades to ammonia (HUGE mess) rather than nitrogen gas. So, it's a risk, not worth taking unless the water situation is dire, and your CYA is truly too high to handle. DO read the Best Guess page.