Septic Tank and Water Softener (2023 Update)

[Alan Whitehouse]

Hi,

I have a septic tank. I also have 3 water softener units (one is a softner, one is for iron removal and one is for tannin removal). Each runs on a 3 day cycle so one regenerates each night and flushes all the water into the drain. I just discoverd that these don't drain into the septic tank but just into a space in my back yard. I now know the answer to why that area is always soggy. Unfortunately the area has become a mosquito breeding ground and we have a 20 x 20 area of the back yard we really can't use.

I am doing renovations now and have the opportunity to re-route these to feed into my septic tank. My question is whether or not this is a bad thing for the septic tank? It is all water and no solid, but don't know enough about the details of septic to know for sure.

Any thoughts?

Alan

[JimR]

Alan -- there are a lot of variables and I'm not a professional in this field, but let me make a few suggestions:

--Your system sounds a lot like mine, located in Central Florida. If you're in a similar location, there should be some way to minimize the soggy area -- perhaps with a slight change in grade, digging a dry well, or simply using the area for a garden with plants that like this environment.

-- If your soil is as sandy as mine, it should drain pretty quickly.

-- Have you considered having all three units cycle on the same day, which gives three days for the area to dry out?

-- Are you sure you need to recycle this frequently? I have mine recycling on 4 days and six days, which is adequate. Especially for the tannin-removal (a potassium permanganate unit?) you should be able to go six days or more before needing recycling.

-- If you don't have one already, consider adding a hose bib that draws water before it goes into the tanks, so that water you use for pressure washing, washing cars, watering the lawn, etc. doesn't deplete your chemicals.

-- My personal preference is to not send water to the septic tank that doesn't need treatment.

Regards --

[Alan Whitehouse]

Thanks for the advice. The soil has a lot of clay and I can't really change the grade.

I will probably look at a dry well come spring then.

The guys that did the install suggested once every 3 days. The iron and tannin I have is pretty heavy.

All my outside taps come straight from the well so I am good there.

[Unrevealed Source]

Install a dry well. Don't drain into the septic tank.

[Goedjn]

It depends on how big your septic system is.. If the tank is comfortable with the added through-put, and the leechfield can handle the water volume, you're not likely to poison the septic tank. But a separate drywell is still a better idea.

[Charles Spitzer]

what about the salt? when i asked the designer of my septic system, he most definitely said not to route that water in there.

[Goedjn]

Short-term, unless you got a really cheap-ass system, or the effluent from the water purification is a big fraction of your total wastewater output, the salt load shouldn't be a significant issue. If it was, you'd have already killed the grass where you're dumping it now.

[Charles Spitzer]

i don't have one yet, but was considering it. i live in the az desert. no grass for a couple of miles. since it's only my wife and i, it just might be a large fraction.

[Goedjn]

Ah.. well, in that case, put in a drywell at the same time, for that and the washing machine. Neither one will destroy a properly built septic system, but they're not exactly helpful, either.

[maradcliff]

Exactly The salt will destroy your septic.

[Goedjn]

Why do you believe that?

[Gary Slusser]

Dry wells are usually illegal in many areas.

The septic tank is where the best choice.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Jill]

replying to Alan Whitehouse, Jill wrote: How a softener works... Ion exchange. The discharge from a water softener is discharging minerals that cause hard water, like calcium and other minerals that your water report should have listed as hard water culprits and some iron. The salt water comes out of your taps, which is already going into your septic tank.

[Guru]

replying to Alan Whitehouse, Guru wrote: Do not feed the softened water to the septic tank, it kills the bacteria working to break down any thing going to your septic tank. I would also avoid and used softened water piped into the septic tank

[Unquestionably Confused]

How about some documentation or a cite on that theory, Guru?

I call bullshit on your statement and offer the following University of Wisconsin research to rebut it.

Further, having lived with a septic system at our home (new in 1974) for

44 years now, I can provide anecdotal information that it doesn't affect it one bit and, as the study above says, MAY actually increase its efficiency.

We didn't pump out our septic tank for at least ten years after the system was constructed and installed. Pumper said "you really should do this every year or two." He ate his words (but not the sludge) when he opened the tank to pump out the sludge and found that there was less than 12" of sludge at the very bottom of the tank where he expected, based on the plumbing and size of the family to be at least 5' and was worried about the sludge migrating to the tile field (which is the danger to the system as it plugs the leaching bed). Pumped it again about 12 years after that and again another 12 years later when having some other work done. Suppose it's time to give them another call.

And before you ask, yes, both the household waste water as well as the brine from recharging goes directly into the septic system.

[gfretwell]

I don't know where you heard this but the OP has been dumping his water softener for 8 years and has had no problems. It is more like 35 for me.

[Frank]

I just copied this from Delaware's requirements:

?Curtain Drain? means a trench 36 inches wide and 24 ? 36 inches deep with 12 inches of aggregate into which water softener backwash is disposed."

Found out about this a few years ago when next door neighbor sold his house and had to install the extra drainage for softener discharge.

Most of us know that salt is not too friendly to concrete and I think that is the rational.

Like you, I have lived with a septic system functioning very well for 44 years but with several neighbors moving or about to move have learned about new regulation with septic and rest of house as I discussed here with my new deck last year.

Most bothersome is new perk requirement that had neighbors had to put in an extra chemical treatment tank for grey water at cost of $20,000. The buried tank is like an upside down huge bath tube with manhole sized hatch for service. It is full of chemical containing pillows to rid effluent of bacteria and heavy metals before it perks. I had mentioned in ng months ago if anyone had this system but got no response.

Right now with just Mom and I living here we only get pumped every 5 or so years and all is fine.

[gfretwell]

Decades ago when I had my yard torn up regrading for a slab and some other work I put in a 40' trench lined with septic membrane and several yards of gravel that had a 4" perf pipe in it. I have been discharging my water softener in it for 35 years. It is also perc's well enough that I can pump out my spa in there occasionally without a problem.

[Frank]

I don't have a water softener system but would be concerned of effect on settlement tank.

You may be fine but depending where you live, rules may have changed, and you might have to make changes if you sell your house. Too good a perk may put bacteria into the aquifer and get into your or neighbors wells. Next door neighbor's drain field is close to his neighbors well in back.

I learned a lot about the aquifer last year when a next door neighbor's well went dry and they had to have a new one dug. Aquifer is not like a pool of water or a stream but water moving through porous rock.

I have two fields, both more evaporation type beds as my perc is not that good. We had 2nd field put in when original field got wet with 5 of us in the house. I have a box where fields are easily switched if one gets wet. Now with low flow flush toilets and other water saver appliance, I've been using the original field for the last 20 years. Don't know what might develop from inspections if I need to sell and move. Neighbor up the street is prepping his house for sale and has had to put $60,000 into it with outside painting, new roof and septic system without doing anything inside yet.

[Wilspin]

not true, no salt comes out your taps from proper functioning unit.