Quote Originally Posted by 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?
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