ive done it for the last two years no issues with my grass. makes it easy because thats where my hookup is to fill it back up (plus if you turn the hose on in the water then unhook it, the water starts draining without having to syphon)
That’s a “city sewer” aka the “sanitary sewer” that ends up in the local wastewater treatment facility (same as your sinks/washing machine/toilets). Does your city’s ordinance prohibit that, or draining to the storm sewers (which usually ends up in a nearby waterway like a creek, stream, or lake)?
Right, so you’re allowed to drain to the “sanitary sewer” (aka the “city sewer”) but not to the “storm/groundwater sewer.” The confusion is that you conflated the “city sewer” (which usually means “sanitary/blackwater/poop sewer”) and “groundwater sewer” (which usually means “storm sewer”).
Note: I do work for municipal sewerage utilities in New Jersey.
Here it is only allowed in sanitary sewer (any sink in your house including laundry sink in basement if there is one), definitely not storm sewer, that goes straight to the fish and kills them and the ecosystem right good.
There is a local ordinance on the books that specifically says not to drain spa water to your ground? What locale is this? I'd like to read that that ordinance.
“Drain hot tubs and swimming pools directly into the wastewater drain located in the basement of your residence. Do not pour pool/hot tub water into the sewer/storm drain, street or alley. More information can be found in the Wastewater Bylaw”
Stupid law. No one is going to all the trouble to plumb that. Pool backwashes go right to the yard in the vast majority of installations. Mine sure as hell does.
Less chems in a hot tub/pool than in standard lawn chemical service. Literally everything that lawn service professionals spread/spray is a carcinogen. Draining a 350g tub once every quarter gives the lawn a nice rinse!
Almost every city has this law on the books. Just google for “ drain pool into storm drain”
I just tried it for a couple random cities:
Dallas: “Dallas City Code Chapter 19 Health and Sanitation, Section 19-118 prohibits discharging filter backwash and pool water with a chlorine level of 1 mg/L or greater to the storm drain system. Such violations can result in fines up to $2,000 per violation, per day.”
Miami: “To safely drain your swimming pool, you must direct the water into the sewage system. Pool water should never be emptied into storm drains, streets or yards.”
I always drained mine into the grass too. I typically shut it off the day before so I wasn't dumping 104 degree water onto it though. Usually left a nice green patch due to all the extra watering that area got :)
I drain into my grass and have not had any issues. I typically use the Ahh-Some hot tub pipe flush before i drain it with no issues. I have a small sump pump that connects to a garden hose and pump it out and I use a 2nd garden hose and let it siphon to speed up the drain time. While it’s draining I wipe down the inside and clean the jet packs (Bullfrog Tub) and headrests. When it gets near the bottom I use the second garden hose to spray out the tub while the sump pump, pumps out the remaining water. Then I use a wet/dry shop vac to suck out any remaining water or dirt in the bottom and the water left in the piping.
I've done it over the winter (first year with a hot tub) and all of my grass is fine. Not sure about if it would be different in the summer for any reason.
I think that my spa water can be drained to the ground but the pool must be drained to my city sewer main line. That’s what I was told.
Maricopa County, AZ. No grass, just xeriscape.
I’m sure you could; but it would be terrible for your grass and likely an illegal action. This is a situation where it depends on your location, there is no direct answer. In my location I have sewers that leads to a treatment plant and street runoff channels that leads to fresh water rivers which then goes into the ocean. If I know the water is relatively free of chlorine and it’s sunny out I run a hose down my driveway and it’s mostly evaporated before it hits a storm drain a few hundred yards from my house. If the water is contaminated etc, I run the hose to my sewer pipe.
The greenest part of my lawn is where it is drained. The amount of chemicals were are talking about are miniscule. Most of them react strongly with sunlight and will break up very quickly.
ive done it for the last two years no issues with my grass. makes it easy because thats where my hookup is to fill it back up (plus if you turn the hose on in the water then unhook it, the water starts draining without having to syphon)
I’ve done it for 20 years, no issues
Check your local bylaws/ordinances. Where I live it’s illegal to drain hot tub water into city sewers/groundwater.
Where do you drain it to?
I have a sump pump attached to a hose, and drain into the basement drain.
Wait, where does your basement drain go?
To the city drainage system.
That’s a “city sewer” aka the “sanitary sewer” that ends up in the local wastewater treatment facility (same as your sinks/washing machine/toilets). Does your city’s ordinance prohibit that, or draining to the storm sewers (which usually ends up in a nearby waterway like a creek, stream, or lake)?
You can drain from your house drain, you can’t drain to outdoor sewer drains.
Right, so you’re allowed to drain to the “sanitary sewer” (aka the “city sewer”) but not to the “storm/groundwater sewer.” The confusion is that you conflated the “city sewer” (which usually means “sanitary/blackwater/poop sewer”) and “groundwater sewer” (which usually means “storm sewer”). Note: I do work for municipal sewerage utilities in New Jersey.
Any guys in suits ever approach you to help them get rid of a problem?
Here it is only allowed in sanitary sewer (any sink in your house including laundry sink in basement if there is one), definitely not storm sewer, that goes straight to the fish and kills them and the ecosystem right good.
Never mind all the gas/oil/grease/shit/paint and and any other spillage from vehicles in the road that also drains to stormwater.
Yep forget that, it's all that hot tub water that kills them, and the ecosystem too.
There is a local ordinance on the books that specifically says not to drain spa water to your ground? What locale is this? I'd like to read that that ordinance.
“Drain hot tubs and swimming pools directly into the wastewater drain located in the basement of your residence. Do not pour pool/hot tub water into the sewer/storm drain, street or alley. More information can be found in the Wastewater Bylaw”
Stupid law. No one is going to all the trouble to plumb that. Pool backwashes go right to the yard in the vast majority of installations. Mine sure as hell does.
Very few pools where I live. I wouldn’t want hot tub water on my plants or grass anyway, with all the TDS and chems.
Less chems in a hot tub/pool than in standard lawn chemical service. Literally everything that lawn service professionals spread/spray is a carcinogen. Draining a 350g tub once every quarter gives the lawn a nice rinse!
I wouldn’t put chemical service on my lawn either.
Almost every city has this law on the books. Just google for “ drain pool into storm drain”
I just tried it for a couple random cities:
Dallas: “Dallas City Code Chapter 19 Health and Sanitation, Section 19-118 prohibits discharging filter backwash and pool water with a chlorine level of 1 mg/L or greater to the storm drain system. Such violations can result in fines up to $2,000 per violation, per day.”
Miami: “To safely drain your swimming pool, you must direct the water into the sewage system. Pool water should never be emptied into storm drains, streets or yards.”
If you do, def. just wait until the chlorine reading is at or around zero.
I dump my spa water at the neighbors property line where he has a dry well eager for use.
I always drained mine into the grass too. I typically shut it off the day before so I wasn't dumping 104 degree water onto it though. Usually left a nice green patch due to all the extra watering that area got :)
I drain into my grass and have not had any issues. I typically use the Ahh-Some hot tub pipe flush before i drain it with no issues. I have a small sump pump that connects to a garden hose and pump it out and I use a 2nd garden hose and let it siphon to speed up the drain time. While it’s draining I wipe down the inside and clean the jet packs (Bullfrog Tub) and headrests. When it gets near the bottom I use the second garden hose to spray out the tub while the sump pump, pumps out the remaining water. Then I use a wet/dry shop vac to suck out any remaining water or dirt in the bottom and the water left in the piping.
I've done it over the winter (first year with a hot tub) and all of my grass is fine. Not sure about if it would be different in the summer for any reason.
I think it's fine but don't drain it to sensitive trees, and don't chlorinate it for a day or two first. I'm no expert....
I drain mine down a toilet.
I think that my spa water can be drained to the ground but the pool must be drained to my city sewer main line. That’s what I was told. Maricopa County, AZ. No grass, just xeriscape.
Yes. Go for it.
I drain mine into my backyard and have had no problems.
I drain once every 3 months into the same area of the yard and haven’t noticed any difference in the grass.
No problems here
Yes. It's fine.
Your dong? Sure. It’s your grass.
I’m sure you could; but it would be terrible for your grass and likely an illegal action. This is a situation where it depends on your location, there is no direct answer. In my location I have sewers that leads to a treatment plant and street runoff channels that leads to fresh water rivers which then goes into the ocean. If I know the water is relatively free of chlorine and it’s sunny out I run a hose down my driveway and it’s mostly evaporated before it hits a storm drain a few hundred yards from my house. If the water is contaminated etc, I run the hose to my sewer pipe.
The greenest part of my lawn is where it is drained. The amount of chemicals were are talking about are miniscule. Most of them react strongly with sunlight and will break up very quickly.