Water Softeners

[rmarton (Rick Marton)]

I understand that sump pumps can’t drain into the sewage system introducing clean water into dirty water, but what about water softeners? When a water softeners does its routing cleansing, is the water considered dirty? Can this go into the sewage system?? Also, the drainage tube is usually just stabbed into the houses drainage system through a small cleanout that was removed. Without an air gap, this is a cross connection?? What is the proper connection component called?

Thanks Rick

[jfrederick (Joshua Frederick)]

@rmarton

but what about water softeners?

They can.

@rmarton

When a water softeners does its routing cleansing, is the water considered dirty?

Yes

@rmarton

Can this go into the sewage system??

Yes

@rmarton

Without an air gap, this is a cross connection??

Yes

@rmarton

What is the proper connection component called?

http://www.uswatersystems.com/shop/products/1%252d1{47}2"-Air-Gap-For-Water-Softener.html

[jjonas (Jeffrey Jonas)]

@rmarton

I understand that sump pumps can’t drain into the sewage system introducing clean water into dirty water, but what about water softeners? When a water softeners does its routing cleansing, is the water considered dirty? Can this go into the sewage system?? Also, the drainage tube is usually just stabbed into the houses drainage system through a small cleanout that was removed. Without an air gap, this is a cross connection?? What is the proper connection component called?

Thanks Rick

Rick,
The reason for a sump to not discharge into a sewage system (public or private) has nothing to do with introducing “clean” water into “dirty”. That’s just silly. The reason is the same for storm water… it overtaxes the sewage systems and could cause failure of the system in many ways. In public systems, during storms and high rainfall, the overtaxed systems have a tendacy to overflow and you get sewage spillage. You hear about this in the news all the time. Since sumps typically are active during storms, it’s all the homes combined pumping at the same time that add to the risk. A water softner is an occassional event, usually late at night when sewage systems are at their lowest levels. Also, the salinity level of the discharging water may cause other damage over the long term, so it is acceptable to discharge to public sewage, and never to private septic.
Jeff

[rmarton (Rick Marton)]

Jeff,

Thank you for that answer. It makes a lot of sense. Let me tell you what they taught us at the inspection school by us and let me know if it is true or makes sense. All the sewage goes to a sewage treatment plant to get cleansed. If sump pumps are running clean water into the sewage, the treatment plant is cleansing water that is already pretty clean and the sewage treatment plant is now working harder for no reason??

Thanks Rick

[jjonas (Jeffrey Jonas)]

@rmarton

Jeff,

Thank you for that answer. It makes a lot of sense. Let me tell you what they taught us at the inspection school by us and let me know if it is true or makes sense. All the sewage goes to a sewage treatment plant to get cleansed. If sump pumps are running clean water into the sewage, the treatment plant is cleansing water that is already pretty clean and the sewage treatment plant is now working harder for no reason??

Thanks Rick

Yes, that is true, but only part of the issue. That was part of my reference to overtaxing the system. Many treatment plants mix clean water with the waste water towards the end of the treatment process to aid in the aeration process. Unfortunately, many HI schools only give partial answers to a particular issue, thus the need for continuing education.

[kbrittain (Kenneth Brittain)]

I see a lot of water softners connected to the drain line with these types of air gap adapters.

http://airgap.com/mrDrain.htm
http://www.uswatersystems.com/shop/products/1%252d1%7B47%7D2%22-Air-Gap-For-Water-Softener.html