I need to lower my CYA level, so planning to pump out some water and add fresh. Assuming my water is well balanced, is it safe to discharge some of the water into my yard or lawn for watering purposes or is it better to pump to the curb and let it run to neighborhood drain? I am aware that there may be other considerations such as local regulations.
Safe to put discharge in yard when lowering CYA?
- Thread starter JeffRH
- Start date
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,971
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I just let mine go in my yard. I mean what else can you do? I've never seen any ill effects from it. And I did check into this in my area there are no regulations to where a pool may be emptied.
Endro32
Well-known member
We dump 1/3 of our pool, about 20,000 gallons, out every year to winterize it before putting the cover on, and it's never killed the grass or anything. I have the chlorine up to SLAM level at this point, too.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,699
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The higher TDS of pool water can sometimes affect grasses or plants but that’s only a concern if the area you discharge it to doesn’t have good drainage. In “wet” areas of the country where there is lots of rainfall, the higher TDS gets diluted by fresh water from rain. In drought prone areas you have to be careful because increasing soil sodicity can lead to landscape damage.
If I had the choice of the yard or the street drain, I would send it down the storm drain assuming you won’t get arrested and thrown in jail for doing so … it is California after all
If I had the choice of the yard or the street drain, I would send it down the storm drain assuming you won’t get arrested and thrown in jail for doing so … it is California after all
I’ve long had the same question and always had a sense it wasn’t a good idea, especially near hard to replace plants. The experts at ag extension services say TDS around 1,000 ppm up is no bueno. For example: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/salttoxicity.html
Now for a twist of possible irony, several jurisdictions actually recommend excess pool water get sent down sewer or storm drain because they treat and recycle that water. I’m curious how they get dissolved solids out of the water but clearly they do. I called my local water utility and they said they would prefer I reduce chlorine before disposing of the water in the sewer. Drinking water can have up to 4 ppm chlorine so I’d think that would be acceptable to go down the drain.
Now for a twist of possible irony, several jurisdictions actually recommend excess pool water get sent down sewer or storm drain because they treat and recycle that water. I’m curious how they get dissolved solids out of the water but clearly they do. I called my local water utility and they said they would prefer I reduce chlorine before disposing of the water in the sewer. Drinking water can have up to 4 ppm chlorine so I’d think that would be acceptable to go down the drain.
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,971
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Hmm..... I think I don't believe this. Storm drains do not go back to the utility for recycling they go to streams and rivers which may, at some point, be used at water treatment plants. Sewer water is not recycled into drinking water. It is treated and sent into the ground or bodies of water.
In many places, storm drains do go to the utility for treatment. But you are right, in many places storm drains don’t. Different places are different. Check with your utility to see if they want the water back. For example: What Do You Do with Old Pool Water? | Kirkland Environmental Services
- May 23, 2015
- 25,699
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Only by expending a lot of energy.
Techniques for the removal of dissolved solids include - reverse osmosis, precipitation/filtration, mechanical vapor recompression, membrane filtration, ion exchange, etc. It costs a lot of money to reduce TDS and so many municipal water providers simply discharge treated storm water from drains into detention ponds (or streams) where the water is allowed naturally recharge the local aquifer. By slowly making its way through the earth and back into the aquifer, solids are removed by the upper layers of sand and clay and pH is naturally restored by neutralization. Drinking/potable water is mainly derived from fresh water sources such as reservoirs, rivers, and/or pumped from aquifers to supply water for treatment and distribution.
Antlo
Well-known member
Our backwash/drain goes under the ground and points to the ditch in the yard leading into the water company's drainage system I would assume. I imagine if you're wondering whether you can send it into a drain, it may vary by city/state, a quick call to your water department may clear it up.
For literally decades I ran a 60 ft 2" pipe from my waste, along the fence in my yard, to a makeshift small "sump" hole in a back garden (a 1' deep hole, lined with an plastic old rectangular flower pot). The sump only to reduce erosion from the force of the water coming out of the end of the pipe. Along the pipe length, I drilled holes, so the pipe became a sprinkler along its whole length to do a bit of lawn watering. That grass was the best in the whole yard. And never had to water the flowers/bushes in the garden area.
Now with a SWCG, with a bit higher salt content, I rerouted to a new sump in a much closer area that has always been a forgotton zone - mostly landscape gravel that grows nothing but creeping charlie. I'm hoping that eventually salting the earth in that area might discourage the weeds. But based on the prior experience, it just may make things more lush.
For winter draw down, I do run a long hose out to the street. Technically chlorinated water is not allowed down the drains in my city, so I try to reduce it to a minimal amount before hand (and it's early Nov., so not much fear of an algae bloom at that time). Then I add Cl for the winter after the lowering is complete.
Now with a SWCG, with a bit higher salt content, I rerouted to a new sump in a much closer area that has always been a forgotton zone - mostly landscape gravel that grows nothing but creeping charlie. I'm hoping that eventually salting the earth in that area might discourage the weeds. But based on the prior experience, it just may make things more lush.
For winter draw down, I do run a long hose out to the street. Technically chlorinated water is not allowed down the drains in my city, so I try to reduce it to a minimal amount before hand (and it's early Nov., so not much fear of an algae bloom at that time). Then I add Cl for the winter after the lowering is complete.