Septic & Water Softener

[Richard]

Any issues with mixing the two?
We're on a septic system and have hard water so I'm contemplating a softener. Is it ok for it to drain into the septic system? Something tells me the waste water won't be good for the septic tank.

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Av8r3400]

Why? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Been doin' it for years. We have a softener and a acid neutralizer which both dump into the septic system. No problems. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SCB]

It would depend on what you are using for a softener. Sodium products are bad for a septic system. This has been discussed at length in this rural forum. try a search on septic systems. Sorry I can't remember what the name of the thread was /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Av8r3400]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sodium products are bad for a septic system. )</font>


Why?

 

[RobertN]

I think the softened water is ok for the septic; Ours has been fine for 10 years now. We had it pumped a year ago and everything was perfect.

I would suspect the issue is with the water from when the softener cycles; the stuff the softener spits out when it is flushing itself. Ours leave a trail of sterile dirt where it runs off from the well house... That really concentrated salt would probably affect the bacteria in the septic tank.

 

[Av8r3400]

Ours dumps right into the septic tank, then out the drain field. We have never had any issues with the salt causing a problem. I had the tank pumped and inspected last summer and the condition was described by the inspector as near new, perfect condition. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW: the system has been in operation since 1997.

 

[SCB]

I'm not an environmental engineer, so I only speak of what I have heard. That being said, I have been told that the salt will crystalize in the drainfield over time and make the drainfield fail sooner that necessary. Personally I haven't had to use a softener, so if it works for you guys who am I to say anything on the subject /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Av8r3400]

How would salt crystallize in the drain-field if water is passing through? The water will dissolve the salt crystals, won't it?

Edit: Hey, I just became a "Gold" member! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SCB]

I think it depends on what type of septic system. If it is an lp system then the drainfeild stays wet almost continually. If it is a conventional gravity system then it will dry out when not in use for a period of time ( depends on usage) The way I understand septics is that the affluent(liquid) that goes out to the drainfeild has sat in the tank and broke down for awhile letting all the solids fall to the bottom of the tank to be pumped later. If there is salt dissolved in the affluent it will travel to the drainfeild and eventually leave deposits. Now is this going to happen in 5 or ten years? I don't know. Like I said I have just been told by our County health dept. that it will cause premature failure of the drainfield due to the crystal deposits.

 

[SCB]

I wish I could remember the post, but someone posted the same stuff a while back and he was using a different additive for softening his water that wasn't sodium based because of what we have been discussing.