Waste water

[jroescher]

I'm going to hookup a RODI unit and install a drain into the yard. I don't like the idea of putting that much water in a septic system. What effect would draining my water changes also into the yard have? Will the salt water kill the lawn? I don't want to sacrifice the yard to find out. It's only a 55g, so it would only be about 10-15 gallons at a time.

For that matter, will the salt water effect my aerobic waste system?

John

[Reef69]

It will defenately kill the yard

[Richard]

The saltwater will kill many types of lawns such as St Augustine, Zoysia. There are some extremely salt tolerant varieties of bermuda that would grow well in the area you drain the saltwater in - as long as it's an area that get full sun during the day.

This is probably the most salt tolerant grass
http://www.seedland.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PLUGS-SEASHORE&Category_Code=

[Richard]

I have some type of bermuda thriving in the area where the brine from my water softener drains. It was growing there when I bought the house so I don't know what kind it is. Google search for "bermuda grass salt" will get you to the types that would work.

[jroescher]

Thanks for the link Richard. I live in the country and don't have a planted lawn yet. It's 'natuaral' grass. I'll plant the drain area with salt resistant grass and should have at least one very nice looking grassy area.

The plan is to install a drain in my stand so that any overflow disasters drain straight out instead of on the floor, and be able to do water changes without carrying water across the house.

[jroescher]

a google search! Now that was just too easy. Wish I could of thought of that. :zzz:

[Richard]

Oh a country boy! I live out in the country also. I just dump my saltwater out in an area that just has natural country grass...nothing kills that stuff.

[Richard]

Man that was bad...go to bed Joshua.

I think too much saltwater can affect your septic system. I don't send my saltwater down the drain because of that. Not much worse than a backed up septic system IMO.

[Ram_Puppy]

I remember reading a spot on reef central about a year ago, a guy had a crew out to service his septic tank and they opened it up, and there were salt crystals all over the insides, the servicemen asked if he had been dumping saltwater down there... I don't think its the contents of the water that do you in per say, but the sheer volume of it all.

[captexas]

The RO/DI waste water would be fine for you yard I would think. The saltwater is bad for grass and plants. I would think it would also be bad for your septic system. There are bacteria and/or algae that grow in a septic tank that help break down the waste as part of that cycle. Those organisms would probably die or be severely reduced by large amounts of saltwater being introduced to their environment. Depending on the size of the septic tank, the small amount of water you are talking about may not affect it. You could probably call a septic tank service company and get a good answer out of them for sure.

[GaryP]

I run my wastewater into my garden. I don't think the TDS of the wastewater is high enough to have a negative impact. In addition, the salt is leached by other watering and rain. My Hydrangea loves it. I have always had a hard time keeping one alinve here because it needs so much water. I ran an extra 25 ft. of tubing to that part of the garden and it keeps the area around the Hydrangea saturated.

Gary