SWG and Lawns?

[baxter]

I'm thinking about switching over to a salt system and the only other thing that I can think of that hasn't been addressed here is will it hurt my lawn?

I live out in the country in West Texas and often during the summer the only water my grass and trees get is from when I backwash the filter or vacume to waste (which I have to do a lot, due to living in the middle of a pasture!)

Are the salt levels low enough to keep from killing the grass?

[Poolsean]

Yes, I would say that the typical salinity level of 3000 ppm will not be a problem.
Mark, your input with the higher levels of the Watermaid would be appreciated as I don't deal with salt levels in that range.

Salt chlorine generators have been around for many many many years and have been placed with sand and DE filters, both of which backwash into the yard, without problems.

[PatL34]

I'm thinking about switching over to a salt system and the only other thing that I can think of that hasn't been addressed here is will it hurt my lawn?

I live out in the country in West Texas and often during the summer the only water my grass and trees get is from when I backwash the filter or vacume to waste (which I have to do a lot, due to living in the middle of a pasture!)

Are the salt levels low enough to keep from killing the grass?

I checked this out with a Lawn Specialist from the University of Florida in a previous thread two years ago, and was given the following advice.


2500 ppm salinity is generally considered high salinity and would cause
adverse responses in most plants. Although St. Augustinegrass has decent
salinity tolerance, salt is still a growth regulator and will injure roots
and shoots at this concentration. I have a table showing that Floratam will
begin to show decline over turf receiving potable water at less than 1.5 d
Sm-1, which equates to about 960 ppm. While it may survive or show little
injury with higher concentrations than that, it would most likely decline
over time in that area. Then factor in that the water is sometimes up to
6000 ppm and you have greatly increased the problem. One of the key
management issues on salt-affected sites is the ability to flush with fresh
water (this summer is a great example of that!), but in a dry year, this can
eat up water in the landscape and is one more thing to have to do.

I would recommend one of two options: not going with this particular system
or removing the grass from this area and either installing a pavement or
using halophytic landscape plants that will tolerate this. Since you also
have to think about soil erosion issues with removal of the turf, that may
limit his options further.

As you mention that you have limited means of diluting the backwash through lack of rainwater and regular water, this might be a factor in your choices available.

Hope this helps.

Pat

[baxter]

Hmmm.
One maybe it won't and one it probably will!

I guess I need to check with one of the extension agents around here and find out what they think.
It probably wouldn't hurt to go ahead and test my well water for salt either.
It's pretty alkaline and calcium rich (use to think it was "hard water" due to all the white stains it leaves on things until I started testing hardness) maybe I'll luck out and it'll already have enough salt in it!

Thanks for the replys guys, sounds like more research is in order!

[Mark_WATERMAID]

Hi Baxter

I have been dumping my backwash water on my front lawn for 5 years and it is doing better than any of my neighbours. There is a farm in Australia that has been pumping the backwash water out onto a pasture for something like 27 years and it is still green. I dont mean to disagree with the experts but if anyone wants a picture of my front lawn, let me know

Mark Manning
Watermaid Canada
www.watermaid.ca
mark@watermaid.ca

[PatL34]

Mark,

I would be interested in the kind of grass you have. It may well be salt-tolerant.

Pat

[Mark_WATERMAID]

I am not sure what kind of grass it is. It is a typical Canadian urban lawn. Green stuff with a few weeds to annoy me.

Mark Manning
Watermaid Canada
www.watermaid.ca
mark@watermaid.ca

[Poolsean]

They use what we call golf grass or fescue, but ryegrass and bermuda are also largely used. I love google. You can find anything.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07227.html

[PatL34]

Thanks Sean.

Pat

[jfalken]

I know it's an old thread, but I actually have a summer's worth of experience with this. I have a 34x15 fiberglass pool with a Salt Water system that we keep at ~3300 ppm. My yard was trashed last year from the pool construction. I sodded it with Fescue. The pool has three sides that meet grass. Along those sides, it has grown in so thick that it practically chokes the mower if you don't keep up with it. The farther you get from pool edge, the patchier-is this a word??:-) - the grass gets. I have had the same experience with Hostas that are in the "splash zone". Just thought I'd chime in...back to lurk mode.

[Phillbo]

My backwash is plumbed into the sewer line .. I assumed this was standard. Given the amount of water needed to keep a lawn green in arizona, I may look to reroute it to the lawn :)