{"id":1316,"date":"2021-12-15T20:15:23","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T20:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hottubzone.com\/?p=1316"},"modified":"2023-02-06T18:48:59","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T18:48:59","slug":"drain-hot-tub-water-grass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hottubzone.com\/drain-hot-tub-water-grass\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Safe to Drain Hot Tub Water on Grass?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
You’ve probably said to yourself that emptying your hot tub onto grass would be highly convenient and an excellent way to recycle water. But is it safe to drain spa water onto your lawn?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A freshly chlorinated hot tub should not be drained on grass. High levels of sanitizing chemicals will damage and kill grass, plants, and tree roots. However, if you allow the sanitizer level to fall to 0.1 ppm, it will be safe to empty the spa water onto the lawn and surrounding vegetation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The type of sanitizer you use makes a huge difference in the amount of damage it can cause. This guide will show you how to discard water for chlorine, bromine, and saltwater spas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your spa is surrounded by grass, you may have noticed that splashes of water seem to do no harm. This is because most soils can tolerate chlorine or bromine in small quantities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But while small splashes don’t do any harm, it’s a very different story when it comes to draining an entire hot tub’s worth of water onto your lawn every 3 or 4 months<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chlorine in concentrations above 2 parts per million (ppm) is particularly damaging to plants such as shrubs, trees, and ornamentals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When chlorine accumulates in the plant tissue too quickly, it \u201cburns\u201d the plants, causing them to die. Highly chlorinated water can also be harmful to the health of the soil, resulting in a pH imbalance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Concentrations of bromine greater than 2 ppm can also accumulate in plant tissue and root systems, which leads to the death of these plants over time. Bromine is especially harmful to trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s worth noting that plants such as roses, vegetables, and fruit trees are more susceptible to chlorine and bromine than hardier plants like rosemary, juniper, and olive trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you allow the chlorine or bromine levels to lower to almost zero, then it is safe to drain the spa water onto your lawn. More information on how to do so later in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip:<\/strong> If you accidentally spill undiluted chlorine onto your lawn, dilute the area immediately by watering thoroughly with fresh water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never drain a saltwater hot tub onto your lawn or down storm drains. Saltwater spas can only be drained into a sanitary sewer system or removed by an approved waste hauler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like chlorine or bromine, small quantities of salt will not kill your grass. But there may be as much as 13 lbs (6kg) of salt sanitizing your spa water, which could cause irreparable damage if it’s emptied onto a small area of your lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The large doses of salt found in a saltwater spa will alter soil chemistry so greatly that it will no longer be able to support new growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is because salt destroys the natural bacteria found in soil, meaning that grass, weeds, and other plants lack the nutrients they need to survive. What’s more, salt can remain in the soil for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another issue with emptying spa water onto grass is that the lawn may quickly reach its saturation level. Hot tubs have to be situated in areas that are flat, and flooding is a lot more likely on level ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flooding can drown the roots of grass and attract unwanted mosquitoes, which will begin to breed within two or three days. The flooding may be so bad that it runs into your neighbor’s yard, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’ll also make the area uncomfortable underfoot for getting in and out of the hot tub once you’ve filled it back up again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rules around the disposal of chemically treated spa water differ from country to country and from state to state in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, it’s best to consult your local municipal Department of Environment Quality for specific guidelines and codes. Use this link<\/a> to visit the US Environmental Protect Agency website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The following advice is for hot tubs that use chlorine or bromine to sanitize the water. Never drain a saltwater spa onto grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most municipalities permit the draining of hot tubs onto the lawn as long as it doesn’t affect the neighbor’s property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before you do so, you’re going to have to wait until the sanitizer levels are almost zero. Ideally, you should wait until the chlorine or bromine level reaches 0.1 ppm or lower to avoid causing any damage to your lawn and surrounding plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The simplest way to dechlorinate hot tub water<\/a> is to allow it to decrease naturally over the course of several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The process can be sped up by turning on the jets and removing the cover to allow the chemicals to evaporate and be destroyed by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If significant amounts of water evaporate from the spa, top it up with fresh water to dilute the sanitizer levels even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other option to dechlorinate hot tub water is to add an additive called neutralizer<\/a><\/strong>. Neutralizer contains sodium thiosulphate, which works to rapidly lower chlorine and bromine levels. It’s a handy product to have around in case you accidentally over-chlorinate your hot tub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before emptying the spa water onto your lawn, the last thing to do is to ensure that pH level is neutral as highly acidic water can damage the grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a dry day, use the drain spigot (drain plug) to slowly release the water onto your lawn to be absorbed into the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy spa water can damage your lawn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Risks of draining chlorine or bromine spas on grass<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Never drain saltwater spas on grass<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You risk flooding your lawn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where should you drain hot tub water?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to drain a chlorine or bromine spa on grass safely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to drain spa water into a sanitary sewer system<\/h3>\n\n\n\n