On 5/28/2018 11:17 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 5/28/2018 9:44 AM, Guru wrote:
replying to Alan Whitehouse, Guru wrote:
Do not feed the softened water to the septic tank, it kills the bacteria
working to break down any thing going to your septic tank.
I would also avoid and used softened water piped into the septic tank


How about some documentation or a cite on that theory, Guru?

I call bull**** on your statement and offer the following University of
Wisconsin research to rebut it.

https://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/watershed/Pages/GWSofteners.aspx

Further, having lived with a septic system at our home (new in 1974) for
44 years now, I can provide anecdotal information that it doesn't affect
it one bit and, as the study above says, MAY actually increase its
efficiency.

We didn't pump out our septic tank for at least ten years after the
system was constructed and installed.Â* Pumper said "you really should do
this every year or two."Â* He ate his words (but not the sludge) when he
opened the tank to pump out the sludge and found that there was less
than 12" of sludge at the very bottom of the tank where he expected,
based on the plumbing and size of the family to be at least 5' and was
worried about the sludge migrating to the tile field (which is the
danger to the system as it plugs the leaching bed).Â* Pumped it again
about 12 years after that and again another 12 years later when having
some other work done.Â* Suppose it's time to give them another call.

And before you ask, yes, both the household waste water as well as the
brine from recharging goes directly into the septic system.

I just copied this from Delaware's requirements:

€œCurtain Drain€� means a trench 36 inches wide and 24 €“ 36 inches deep
with 12 inches of aggregate into which water softener backwash is disposed."

Found out about this a few years ago when next door neighbor sold his
house and had to install the extra drainage for softener discharge.

Most of us know that salt is not too friendly to concrete and I think
that is the rational.

Like you, I have lived with a septic system functioning very well for 44
years but with several neighbors moving or about to move have learned
about new regulation with septic and rest of house as I discussed here
with my new deck last year.

Most bothersome is new perk requirement that had neighbors had to put in
an extra chemical treatment tank for grey water at cost of $20,000. The
buried tank is like an upside down huge bath tube with manhole sized
hatch for service. It is full of chemical containing pillows to rid
effluent of bacteria and heavy metals before it perks. I had mentioned
in ng months ago if anyone had this system but got no response.

Right now with just Mom and I living here we only get pumped every 5 or
so years and all is fine.