Quote Originally Posted by sock monkey
Very good points! I don't think I have a water table to worry about, since the pool sits on a hill (does that make sense? it does in my mind..which doesn't mean it's right by any means)
I wouldn't necessarily assume this.
Hills have groundwater issues too- They just happen in "cascades" from one pad of land to the next lower.... In times of high rain, the water rises if the soil holds onto moisture. The only time you don't have to worry about water is solid stone/ bedrock. A pool deck often offers a perfect flat area for water to collect, and the deck also keeps it hidden.
We should know! We're now in the process of taking apart & repairing the pool deck of our hills home, and apparently the water retained in a higher pad has been pouring out to open air via the underside of our pool then down the hillside!! Literally a ton or more of soil has been eroded! Miraculously, the pool is uncracked & unharmed, b/c the concrete was installed well & solidly... If there is any chance of this occurring near your pool, I'd encourage getting some counsel on specs for the concrete bottom, hydrostatic pressure, as well as retaining walls below if needed. Sorry for the long details, but I'm sure you'd only like to do this job once...