where do you dump your saltwater?

[Im14abeer]

If you live in a home where the drains are old enough to be galvinized and/or cast iron (although cast iron is making a comeback of sorts), I would make sure to rinse thoroughly after dumping. Like someone else said here, freshwater is corrosive too and after years of use, the insides of those pipes are not a solid uniform surface. If your pipes are like this already, saltwater will certainly exsacerbate the problem. My suggestion would be to plug the drain after dumping, put several gallons of fresh water in the sink or tub and then unplug so the drain fills completely.
As for the dumping of saltwater into a septic, that debate has been going on for a long time and probably will continue for some time yet. The main concern here is the effluent from a water softener though.
Just my .02

[datman422]

those are great insites Im14abeer. I see that your occupation is a plumber and we all should take your words with the highest concerns. And trust me, your .02 is worth more that others billion dollars thought in this thread.

[iSpeakWhale]

I'd checked with my Engineering in my company and has confirmed that there is no problem dumping saltwater down your drain. The reason is the amout is so small. It would only matter if you are dumping 100 thousand gallons.

The other question was will it have any effect on the drain over time. The answer I got back was probably not, but if any it wouldn't get any worst than your sewage waste.

[datman422]

Since you work at a water treatment company, I will take your word for it. Thx silly J

[Rurouni Kenshin]

Originally posted by Dsybok
take 5 gallon buckets to the curb and dumping them in the gutter

[Michael7979]

In the toilet and flush it away.

[andy51289]

right down the driveway...

[sdr209]

You don't really have to be an engineer to see that dumping small amounts of salt water(~5-10gal) down city sewage drains or on the driveway every other week or month may not impact water systems significantly, however, when you own a water softner which many people do, the amount of salt water that may be dumped in the water system on a DAILY basis if not regulated is now at the thousands of gallons a day(combined). So if you think of just your own personal water waste from a salt tank, its not a big problem, but pooled together with the thousands of gallons of other sources of high salinity water waste then we have a problem, and thats why city ordinances prohibit dumping of certain substances into water systems or drains.
Well just the .02!


PS: ispeakwhale, sorry I haven't got back to you been running around all weekend, still got some of those brine?

[datman422]

yEA, MY Lord, but........How many people in your neighborhhood owns a reef tank. I am sure it is not in the thousands. Beside, salt water is nature. How bad is it to dump 10, 20, 30gals of saltwater down the driveway. Here it is agian coming from a man that works in a water treatment plant.

"I'd checked with my Engineering in my company and has confirmed that there is no problem dumping saltwater down your drain. The reason is the amout is so small. It would only matter if you are dumping 100 thousand gallons.

The other question was will it have any effect on the drain over time. The answer I got back was probably not, but if any it wouldn't get any worst than your sewage waste.

PS. ispeakwhale, I out of brineshrimp.

[kflak]

Wouldn't it just make simple sense to put it back in the ocean were it belongs?

[datman422]

Exactly, your drive way drain run straight to the delta and out back to in sea right. So, would it really matter?

[ctreefer]

When you think about it everytime you take a leak thats salt water. So everyone should stop taking a leak in their john and proceed to go to the driveway. I'm gonna start right now!!!!

[kflak]

I used to go in the driveway until my neighbors started to complain. Now I use the backyard instead.

[ReeferMac]

Out of curiosity, what did the neighbors complain about?

The concern w/ dumping the water into a non-treated system (e.g. the estuary you mention is a prime example), there's a risk of contaminating the environment. California residents I'm particularly surprised at hearing that kind of statement - why do you think Caulerpa is banned in your state?

- Mac

[beamer]

Mine goes down the bath tub drain to the septic. I talked to the people that put in the septic system and they said there would be no problem.

Cindy

[57chevygirl57]

Originally posted by phipps
I live out in the country and have a septic system. I don't really have anywhere else to dump it. If I flush it with freshwater as I dump it would that help any? I usually only dump 10 gallons or so at a time. I'd really hate to screw up my septic system.

I dump ours in the drive way, which is 3 1/4 inch minus,,,,,,,,
rock and dirt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
We too have a septic system.............................

[datman422]

Interesting how Caulerpas are illegal in California, yet many, if not all our LFS will sell you a bag for $10.00 . I perfer Chaeto as a good sourse of nutrients export.

[rnsmith]

Well . . .

In the mid-west most of us have water softeners which use salt pellets in the internal rinse process - about 200 lbs per month - two rinses per day (I think). All that goes down the drain - to somewhere. Our pipes, and all the neighbors pipes are just fine.

I would not worry about it.

RS

[Mook]

I use some to kill the weeds round the house the rest goes down the drain

[ohioreef]

Originally posted by rnsmith
Well . . .

In the mid-west most of us have water softeners which use salt pellets in the internal rinse process - about 200 lbs per month - two rinses per day (I think). All that goes down the drain - to somewhere. Our pipes, and all the neighbors pipes are just fine.

I would not worry about it.

RS

My softener uses about 80lbs/month. Mine only recycles every couple of days.

You must have some seriously hard water!!!!

[datman422]

I planing on using my next water change water to kill some unwanted weed with this stuff. Do this realy work.?

[thrlride]

Right down the driveway for me too.

[Mook]

Originally posted by datman422
I planing on using my next water change water to kill some unwanted weed with this stuff. Do this realy work.?

Works for me but takes a little longer than normal weed killers

[datman422]

GOT ME SOME WEED KILLER.

[datman422]

now it goes into my weed. no more picking weed