Water Softner Backwash... is this okay?

[Threehappypenguins]

Where does that water go?

Good question. I have no idea. It might go to our culvert that runs under the driveway. I think what I'm going to do tomorrow is contact the city and find out the original 1986 plans for the property and what was approved and done. Apparently it was code even then to have weeping tile around the house.

 

[Treeman]

Is it o.k. to dump salty backwash water into the basement footing drain tile?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Threehappypenguins]

Is it o.k. to dump salty backwash water into the basement footing drain tile?

I don't know? That's why I'm asking these questions. I tried to find info online about people doing the same, and I can't find much.

 

[Reach4]

Good question. I have no idea. It might go to our culvert that runs under the driveway. I think what I'm going to do tomorrow is contact the city and find out the original 1986 plans for the property and what was approved and done. Apparently it was code even then to have weeping tile around the house.

The weeping tile goes to a sump with a pump, right? If that is the case, I think running the softener drain directly to the sump would be better than to the tiles which feed into the sump.

 

[Threehappypenguins]

The weeping tile goes to a sump with a pump, right? If that is the case, I think running the softener drain directly to the sump would be better than to the tiles which feed into the sump.

We do have a sump pit, but it is bone dry for 95% of the year, and occasionally fills with water but never overflows. There is a pump in it, but it's just loosely sitting there (not secured), and it is tied into our septic system drainage. So it's always unplugged and we don't use it. It clearly looks like an afterthought of the house, because the hole is just roughly punched in the ground (not round, no container or lid... like someone took a jackhammer and punched a hole in the floor and called it a sump pit). It doesn't appear that the pit leads anywhere. Just straight into the ground with some gravel.

 

[Threehappypenguins]

*bump*

Really hoping to know if it's a good idea to run backwash directly to the basement footing drain tile, and what the downside is if we do this. I am currently awaiting the city to get back to me to let me know if there's even drain tile around our house. I assume there is, but I don't want to spend the money to rent an excavator only to find out we don't have it.

 

[Reach4]

Really hoping to know if it's a good idea to run backwash directly to the basement footing drain tile, and what the downside is if we do this.

I know I consider it a bad idea, because it seems like it could be a good way to add dirt if you are draining above the tile, and doing a whole lot of extra work if tapping into the drain tile with some dirt-proof connection. That does not mean either is a bad idea. Maybe you can find somebody who posts that doing this, when you don't even know where that goes, is a good idea.

Many think that putting this softener drainage into the septic tank is not a bad idea. I am undecided on that.

 

[Threehappypenguins]

I know I consider it a bad idea, because it seems like it could be a good way to add dirt if you are draining above the tile, and doing a whole lot of extra work if tapping into the drain tile with some dirt-proof connection. That does not mean either is a bad idea. Maybe you can find somebody who posts that doing this, when you don't even know where that goes, is a good idea.

Many think that putting this softener drainage into the septic tank is not a bad idea. I am undecided on that.

I guess the best I can do is sit tight and wait for the city to get back to me to see if they have the plans for my house and the drainage, and find out just where that drainage goes. If it's totally unknown, then I'll just go with the original plans of draining above ground and then piping it to a dry well.

If I find out where the drainage leads to (and it's not blocked and everything is good in that respect), is there a specific reason or are there specific reasons why draining into the tile is a bad idea?

 

[Treeman]

I have zero experience with this stuff and my opinion is not even worth 2 cents. I have concerns that it is bad to have salt accumulations build up around the basement wall footing. I have no explanation other than is just seems like a bad idea.

 

[Bannerman]

In consideration to the damage ice control salt will cause to concrete sidewalks and garage floors. I would not want a softener's briny discharge being deposited around my home's foundation.

There was a university study posted on this forum some years back regarding discharging water softener brine into a residential septic system. I recall the report concluded the amount of sodium resulted in no negative consequences when a moderate and efficient amount of salt such as 8 lbs/ft3 or less was utilized for regeneration.

 

[Treeman]

In consideration to the damage ice control salt will cause to concrete sidewalks and garage floors. I would not want a softener's briny discharge being deposited around my home's foundation.

There was a university study posted on this forum some years back regarding discharging water softener brine into a residential septic system. I recall the report concluded the amount of sodium resulted in no negative consequences when a moderate and efficient amount of salt such as 8 lbs/ft3 or less was utilized for regeneration.

Initial studies were done in 1978 and follow-up research was reported in 2013: https://www.wqa.org/Portals/0/WQRF/ResearchStudy_WaterSoftenersEnvironmentalImpact-ExecSummary.pdf

"The data indicate that the use of efficiently operated water softeners (at or above~3000gr/lb salt efficiency) improves septic tank performance, while the use of very inefficient home softeners (at or below~1000gr/lb salt efficiency) may have a negative effect on solids discharge to the drain field. The level of impact will depend on the level of hardness in the water, whether the regeneration waste is discharged to the septic tank, and the amount of excess sodium present in regeneration wastes."

 

[Threehappypenguins]

We have an 800 gallon tank and 5 (soon to be 6) people living here. And we may continue to add to our family having more people than that living here long term. I have to pump our tank yearly. There is no way I am going to tie backwash into our septic.