Any Thoughts on recycling spa water ?

[WannaSoakNow]

I am shortly about to change out the water in my spa. It seems to me a waste of water to dump it down the drain or let it flow out onto the yard that does not, at the moment, need to be watered. I also do not like the idea of possible chemical burns to my plants.

Can anyone tell me if putting some of the water into rain barrels, that have screening on the top, will allow the chemicals in the water to dissipate over time?
If this is so, how long would I wait for the water to be safer to use on my garden beds?
Does anyone on the forum use a medthod of recycling the water other than dump and re-fill?

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to save all the water, from my spa, in rain barels but, any amount recycled would be a big plus IMHO

[Vinny]

The only chemicals you might need to worry about is chlorine and I guess bromine. I have dumped my water with high levels of chlorine both on my lawn and on plants and it did not effect them.

Unfortunately the time of year it is (at least for most of the country and Canada) it's wintertime and plants don't need water. But I would imagine that in the spring, summer and fall reusing spa water isn't a big thing. Wait until your chlorine/bromine levels are close to 0 and reuse the water ... I don't know if I would use it on editable plants only because of the possible impurities that the spa water may have but everything else should be OK. Then again sa water may not be so bad considering what some water sources may contain, even city water is treated with chlorine so even 1 PPM chlorine should be OK.

[WannaSoakNow]

Thanks Vinny. With the drought we had these past two summers, I have given more thought to how much we waste of a very precious resource.  

I would only be using the water to irrigate my non-edible garden beds with. (I got rid of the lawn a few years ago)

I guess the old timers had a good reason to use rain run off cisterns. Thanks again for the info.

[Cyn]

(I got rid of the lawn a few years ago)

Got rid of the lawn?  What did you replace it with?  I would love to 'get rid of the lawn.'

[bosco0633]

my friend puts some in buckets and uses it to wash his clothes instead of the washing machine filling with water.  he is so cheap, but as he puts it, it gets him off the grid!!!

[Vinny]

my friend puts some in buckets and uses it to wash his clothes instead of the washing machine filling with water.  he is so cheap, but as he puts it, it gets him off the grid!!!

A top loader must have at least 20 gallons of water ... I hope his washer is next to his tub!

[WannaSoakNow]

Hey don't laugh about the buckets!   ....Some new housing developments are putting in grey water use. That means, to those unaccostomed to the term, water unfit for consumption by humans. The use is for water from washing machines, dishwashers, household drain water etc. NOT the toilet...for those that may pick up on WASTE water NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMTION!

What's wrong with reuse of spa water?!?! Why waste when you can recycle!

As to getting rid of the lawn....that's easy...make a plan of what you WOULD like...then draw out a process of making the lawn space smaller and smaller as each year goes by. It's easy once you have a plan of what you want.

It took me three years to get rid of that pain in the neck, mowing, fertilizing, wasteful green space. I now have a wonderful planted yard with LESS work and more time to SOAK......!!! Can't ask for more IMHO.

Any Landscape designer can do it for you. BUT, if you have the time and put in the effort you do not need a designer, use a search engine and do it yourself....That's shooting myself in the pocketbook as I do design work, but, anyone can do it themselves. You do not need a degree to do so. If you can spend the time to do the research on looking for the perfect hot tub/spa, then you have the time to save some big bucks on getting rid of the lawn care. Again, more time to soak while your neighbors are sweatin' weed whackin', fertilizin', and, cutting that lawn that needs a goat or sheep to take care of!

Back to the original question on this thread, A Hot Tub/Spa is a luxury item; a therapy for some etc....But an added plus is saving a precious resource that may not be there when we most expect it to be. Crumbs to consider in this day and age. So, any other ideas about use of spa water for recycling? I'd be happy to hear them. I don't want to waste the water if I don't have to. Other than Vinny ( and his point is well taken for the possible contamination problems) does anyone have any other ways to save, recycle and/or use left over spa water, other than dispose it down the drain?

Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.

[Brewman]

People have reported here that dumping bromine spa water on their lawns made them greener in the area where the water was poured.

[Vinny]

Hey don't laugh about the buckets!   ....Some new housing developments are putting in grey water use. That means, to those unaccostomed to the term, water unfit for consumption by humans. The use is for water from washing machines, dishwashers, household drain water etc. NOT the toilet...for those that may pick up on WASTE water NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMTION!

What's wrong with reuse of spa water?!?! Why waste when you can recycle!

As to getting rid of the lawn....that's easy...make a plan of what you WOULD like...then draw out a process of making the lawn space smaller and smaller as each year goes by. It's easy once you have a plan of what you want.

It took me three years to get rid of that pain in the neck, mowing, fertilizing, wasteful green space. I now have a wonderful planted yard with LESS work and more time to SOAK......!!! Can't ask for more IMHO.

Any Landscape designer can do it for you. BUT, if you have the time and put in the effort you do not need a designer, use a search engine and do it yourself....That's shooting myself in the pocketbook as I do design work, but, anyone can do it themselves. You do not need a degree to do so. If you can spend the time to do the research on looking for the perfect hot tub/spa, then you have the time to save some big bucks on getting rid of the lawn care. Again, more time to soak while your neighbors are sweatin' weed whackin', fertilizin', and, cutting that lawn that needs a goat or sheep to take care of!

Back to the original question on this thread, A Hot Tub/Spa is a luxury item; a therapy for some etc....But an added plus is saving a precious resource that may not be there when we most expect it to be. Crumbs to consider in this day and age. So, any other ideas about use of spa water for recycling? I'd be happy to hear them. I don't want to waste the water if I don't have to. Other than Vinny ( and his point is well taken for the possible contamination problems) does anyone have any other ways to save, recycle and/or use left over spa water, other than dispose it down the drain?

Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.

If this was pointed towards me - WHY? I was the first to respond and I believe in recycling.

I wouldn't carry buckets of water to my washer as it is far away, each bucket would weigh 40 lbs and I would have to make 4 trips back and forth IF my washer was 20 gallons. I couldn't carry 2 buckets as 80 lbs for that distance would be too much.

I think reusing the water by watering the plants is a great solution. Buying a pump and using the water around the yard is an excellent idea! Maybe even pumping the water into the washer may work as well. But once you did one or 2 loads - then what - I guess a storage container for the grey water for future use or holding until the spring.

But also remember that dumping water onto the lawn is also replenshing the underground aquifiers. Water starts from the surface and perculates down. I once read that you can discharge waste water about 200 feet from a river and by the time it perculates to that river it will be clean from contaminants - I don't know if this is correct or not. Also remember in a lot of areas drain water is recycled in water treatment plants. They take the drain water and purifiy it before releasing it back into a stream, lake or river so theroretically it is being reused... Even human waste is in that mix.

I watch my water consumption every month and I get a bill every month. I have heard that the average American family uses 75 gallons of water a day per person ... we use about 50 ... a little higher in the summer because of the pool and whenever the spa needs to be refilled.

I have a back lawn and the only time it gets watered is when it rains or I dump the spa water.

If this wasn't pointed at me ... never mind!

[Brewman]

Water doesn't go away, it just moves from place to place.  

[Trenden]

Water doesn't go away, it just moves from place to place.  

Exactly.  The amount of water on the earth doesn’t change and therefore ultimately can’t be wasted.  Water conservation is a local issue and only makes sense when there is local scarcity.  

[Brewman]

Like in Atlanta?  That water shortage sounds downright scary from what I've seen on the news.

[Vinny]

Exactly.  The amount of water on the earth doesn’t change and therefore ultimately can’t be wasted.  Water conservation is a local issue and only makes sense when there is local scarcity.  

To put it into more of a perspective we are drinking the same water and breathing the same air as dinosaurs did!

The only thing to think aboiut is the pollution that might be in the water from whatever we discharged ... that makes water less available. It's a little different from when a dinosaur took a dump in the water! No matter how big it was!

[WannaSoakNow]

Vinny...the post was NOT aimed at anyone in particular...sorry if you thought so....I hit the smiley to the right of the toothy grin and didn't even notice it until just now that I read the post by you.....I do apologize if you took offense...... here's the correct one  ...I think that would change the whole tone if you re-read it....Anyway, sorry for the misunderstanding.  

[Vinny]

No offense taken! I was just surprised that a "  "was there after your bucket comment. I thought maybe you thought that I was making fun of this subject. Believe me, I know I have insulted a few people here by not using a " " or " " icon after what I said.

I thought of another use for the water - washing the car!