Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

[Howard Sterndrive]

Not sure where to run the regeneration discharge hose.

I found about 5 articles that say it will absolutely, unequivocally destroy my septic system
I found approx. 10 articles that say it will do absolutely zero harm and can actually be good for the septic system

???

I read stuff for about 2 hours tonight and I'm no more educated than before....

I seem to be finding about 50% more articles that say it's ok in the septic... than ones that predict septic end times...

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

It's salt water brine so it shouldn't hurt a properly engineered septic system and deep drain field. Depends on where your sump discharge empties. Again, it's saline so you don't want it dumping on grass that you'd like to keep alive.

 

[mike64]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

We were told by a plumber who's opinion we respect that it was no problem to discharge into the septic system (he had a septic system himself and that is what he did). We discharge to the septic in the winter and outside in the non-freezing months.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

mine goes to the sump, but that's where it was when I moved in.

 

[JB]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

Our Culligan softener discharged into our septic tank for at least 5 years with no problems. That is how Culligan set it up on installation.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

Try your local municipality for info.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

I use to pump septic tanks DON'T do it if you have a cement tank.
The salt water will eat away at the baffles. That's the first sign that you're in trouble.
I've seen a good many tanks ruined by water softeners being run into a cement tank.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

Mine has always gone into the septic system. I recently had to have the field replaced (it was over 35 years old) and when it was done our local health department recommended discharging it into a ditch. Which I didn't do.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

thanks folks.
I have no baffles in my septic so I'm going to leave it going there.
I use very little water anyway, and my unit doesn't regen very often. I seem to use very little salt.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

I have no baffles in my septic

Really ???. What keeps the toilet paper and floating scum from going into your leach lines.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Water Softener Discharge - sump or septic?

In a study, the University of Wisconson determined that there is no negative effect from dumping brine discharge, from a water softener, into a septic system. Also it was found, that with some clay soils, the brine would actually improve percolation.

Many utilities are just ignorant on the subject so they just say DON'T as a matter of course. The only concern one might have of dumping any extra water, whether from water softening or especially from automatic filtration, into the septic, is if your system is water volume sensitive.