Waste Water (Saltwater) Uses?

[absolut_racer]

Is there a more appropriate or environmentally-friendly way of disposing waste water (saltwater) from a water change, other than just pouring it down the drain? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Rjohn]

I pour mine in the cracks in my driveway and sidewalk to stop weeds and grass from growing.

[TheKipf]

Not being rude, I'm legitimately curious and un-informed on this topic.

But is salt water environmentally un-friendly? I'm not sure I see how it could be. The water extracted from water changes shouldn't have any caustic chemicals in it (being its supporting the life in your tank ). And salt is a naturally occurring substance.

[rainbody]

I use it as weed control as well. Haven't had a weed since I started.

[absolut_racer]

Not being rude, I'm legitimately curious and un-informed on this topic.

But is salt water environmentally un-friendly? I'm not sure I see how it could be. The water extracted from water changes shouldn't have any caustic chemicals in it (being its supporting the life in your tank ). And salt is a naturally occurring substance.

Good point to bring up. My understanding that the introduction some elements to water systems, such as phosphates, can cause eutrophication, the excessive growth of plants, such as algae. However, I am unsure if the amount of phosphates possibly present in a reef hobbyist's aquarium is negligible. Perhaps some one on the forum could elaborate on this?

My primary concern is the actual disposal of saltwater. Perhaps there are ways to repurpose this water, as opposed to simply pouring it down the drain?

@RJohn - Great idea! I will definitely try this out.

Please keep these ideas coming!

[+Lamont]

+1 for weed termination

[+dapettit]

In my opinion the salt content is to high to use for anything other than weed control. The cost to recyle the water, being so far inland, would be cost prohibitive. Again just my opinion.

[mFrame]

I let it evaporate and then put the salt in my salt shaker on the table, it's just like sea salt that you buy at the gourmet stores.

Just kidding.

[+mcallahan]

I throw it in different places on the lawn. Hasn't killed any grass yet

[barderer]

It WOULD be just like sea salt

[Rjohn]

It WOULD be just like sea salt

Assuming you could get the fish poop out of it.

[Derekreefer]

I have been dumping the old saltwater in different spots around the lawn. I have not noticed any deadspots.

[Rjohn]

Not being rude, I'm legitimately curious and un-informed on this topic.

But is salt water environmentally un-friendly? I'm not sure I see how it could be. The water extracted from water changes shouldn't have any caustic chemicals in it (being its supporting the life in your tank ). And salt is a naturally occurring substance.

There are low-lying countries whose farmland routinely gets flooded by sea water during typhoons. This makes them unusable for about 3 or 4 years, I think. The farm science guys are killing themselves to develop a strain of rice that will grow in briney conditions.

[TheKipf]

There are low-lying countries whose farmland routinely gets flooded by sea water during typhoons. This makes them unusable for about 3 or 4 years, I think. The farm science guys are killing themselves to develop a strain of rice that will grow in briney conditions.

No doubt that high salinity concentrations can't be good for farming conditions, but I don't think dumping your salt water outside has that same effect. If anything the annual rain fall and run off would be enough to distribute the salt to trace amounts - hardly enough to effect plant life.

Those floods basins have to have hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that flood, and then evaporate, compared to the 20 or so gallons you might get after a month from the fish tank.

[Hamp]

The only concerns that I have heard about are in coastal areas where the threat of introducing macro algea into the ocean could cause major problems. Caulerpa has been a problem in a few different areas where it was introduced by aquarists. Thats why its illegal in California.

[Timfish]

I've looked at the cost of recycling old saltwater by running it back through my R.O. to separate the water but with the cost of water so cheap compared to electricity it's cheaper to dump it and probably more environmentally friendly unless you have solar panels. Using it for weed control doesn't seem like a good idea to me since it's going to take a LONG time to leach the salt out to grow anything again.

[Derek]

I just dump mine in the sink. I do not want to affect my soil's salt content in any major way. I have thought about getting a kiddy pool and just letting it evaporate, then toss out the salt.

We could always get a big kiddy pool and fill it with saltwater for Mark's baby. I hear that saltwater swimming is good for the skin.

[dweyant]

The only concerns that I have heard about are in coastal areas where the threat of introducing macro algea into the ocean could cause major problems. Caulerpa has been a problem in a few different areas where it was introduced by aquarists. Thats why its illegal in California.

Isn't everything illegal in California?

[dweyant]

I usually dump mine somewhere I don't care about having grass (I have acerage).

For those of you on septics, I assume(?) you don't dump it down the drain?

-Dan

[Timfish]

I would think there's far less salt in old salt water going into drains and septic systems than there is from water softeners. I've never heard yet of any cautions against using water softners on septic systems. It just does not seem like a good idea to me to be dumping salt water on the ground were it will take a LONG time to leach it out before plants will grow again. I will admit I don't know how much it takes to sterilize an area, and I'm sure different plants have different tolerances Murphy's Law dictating it will be weeds that have the highest.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Timfish

[FarmerTy]

Yeah,

I have been weary about dumping it on the lawn for fear of the accumulative effect of salt concentrations building up in my lawn. I would imagine certain types of grass are more tolerant of salt concentrations than others but I'm in the process of building a nice pretty lawn and the last thing I want is my grass dying off because of the higher salt content in the soil. Imagine how much water it would take to leach the salts back out if that were the case. You'd be literally trying to drown your lawn!

I'm an environmental scientist by trade, we don't really deal with salt content in the soil, but the chemicals that we do deal with in the soil, are usually a pain in the *** to remove and usually require excavation versus treating in place. I'd hate to have to excavate the first 6" of my lawn just because salt concentrations have built up so much that it inhibits the growth of grass. This is by no means a professional opinion, just trying to cross-reference what I do with a potential problem in front of us. It doesn't really apply in the same sense but close enough for me to not want to dump saltwater on my lawn.

-Ty

[NonSequitur]

I typically either pour the water down the driveway to evaporate or pour it on the weeds that grow up through cracks in the sidewalk and between the stepping stones in the backyard.. areas that I would really prefer never to have plants growing in again. I figure anything left alive in the water (algae, bacteria, etc) will likely be killed by drying before the next rain takes the salt downstream. I typically sweep the driveway after cutting the grass, so the majority of the salt gets swept up, and I doubt that the small amount that is left will have a major impact compared to the standard contaminants in suburban storm water.

[The_Colonel]

I am originally from Wisconsin and Minnesota where they literally dump thousands of tons of salt on the roads each winter. If that is not causing any damage, I doubt the water from an aquarium would, so I used to just walk out to the curb and dump it in the gutter.

[wayneb]

I am originally from Wisconsin and Minnesota where they literally dump thousands of tons of salt on the roads each winter. If that is not causing any damage, I doubt the water from an aquarium would, so I used to just walk out to the curb and dump it in the gutter.

+1 - however from midwest, same salting of roads though, with no noticable effect on grass/plants during growing season.

wayneb

[+dapettit]

I pump mine into the toilet.