How do I dispose of hot tub water?
The best way to dispose of hot tub water is using a basement drain, kitchen sink, or laundry room sink to direct the water into the sewer line if it is chlorinated. Then, the chlorinated water is moved from the sewer line to a treatment facility. Do not drain spa water directly into a street drain. Street drains often lead back to the water supply.
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Hot tub maintenance is critical to ensuring that you enjoy a clean and healthy hot tub all year round. Therefore, you’ll need to drain and dispose of your hot tub water from time to time.
If you want to know how to dispose of hot tub water, you are in the right place because I have written this article to answer all your questions.
It’s essential to know the correct method to dispose of the hot tub water to minimize problems in your backyard and with the local authorities.
In this article, I want to inform you where you can dispose of the old water from your hot tub, assuming you don’t intend to reuse or recycle it.
You’ll also be able to tell how to dispose of your hot tub water properly by the time you’re done reading this article.
Let’s get started!
How To Dispose Of Hot Tub Water
The best way to dispose of hot tub water is using the basement drain, kitchen sink, or laundry room sink to direct the water into the sewer line if it is chlorinated. Then, the chlorinated water is moved from the sewer line to a treatment facility. This is the best practice in most municipalities.
Hot tub water that contains bromine and chlorine must never be disposed to the storm drains because this is against the law.
The chlorine, bromine, and other chemicals used in the treatment and maintenance of the hot tubs pose a severe threat to aquatic animals, animals, birds, and vegetation.
You should never be tempted to dispose of the untreated hot tub water to the storm drain because it will eventually flow into the stormwater ponds and other drinking water sources, where it can cause serious harm.
Can I Drain a Hot Tun Into The Sewer (Only If The Water Has Been De-Chlorinated)?
You can drain your hot tub into a sewer only if the water has been dechlorinated. But you must remember that a storm sewer differs significantly from a sanitary sewer.
For a storm sewer, snowmelt and rainwater collect into the water bodies and do not undergo treatment. Instead, the water collects from basins around our streets and flows into drains, arriving in rivers, lakes, or oceans. As a result, storm waters do not contain significant contamination that can affect plants and animals where it flows.
For this very reason, chlorinated water from hot tubs must be treated before it is allowed to flow into the storm sewers.
On the contrary, water that has been used from your house or the business collects into the sanitary sewer.
The water is drained to a municipal treatment plant before it flows into the storm sewers. The municipal treatment is done thoroughly to remove any chemical compounds that can be harmful to the environment.
There would be no problem to dispose of dechlorinated hot tub water into the sanitary sewer because it will flow to the municipal treatment plants.
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Learn MoreCan I Drain a Hot Tub Into The Kitchen Sink? (Yes)
Yes, you can drain your hot tub water into the kitchen sink. This is because the water from your kitchen sink is part of the domestic wastes collected into the sanitary sewer line for treatment.
Like water from your bathroom, this water is not disposed to the environment directly. In fact, all wastewater from your house, whether it is coming from the kitchen sink. Bathroom sinks, showers, or toilets will meet at a single line before leaving your home into the sanitary sewer line.
From understating the basic structure of your sewer line connection in your house, I know for a fact that there’s no problem in disposing of your hot tub water through the kitchen sink.
And you don’t have to worry that your hot tub water is chlorinated at the time of disposal because it will not get into the open environment.
Can I Drain My Hot Tub On My Lawn?
No, you cannot drain your hot tub on your lawn. This is because water from your hot tub contains acidic chemicals like bromine and chlorine that can scorch and discolor the grass on your lawn.
You don’t want this to happen if you know the amount of effort and attention it has taken to provide such an appeal in your backyard.
Instead of draining the hot tub into your lawn, connect a hose and drain far away from your grass and nearby vegetation. You should also avoid draining into a storm drain unless the water is free of chlorine compounds.
Your local regulations should always inform the right place to drain your hot tub water.
If you can treat the hot tub water before emptying, ensure that your actions will not hurt your lawn.
Will Hot Tub Water Kill My Grass?
Yes, the hot tub water will kill your grass. At the very least, the water can scorch and discolor the grass on your lawn. It can also kill grass seed, flowers, weeds, and shrubs. The damaging compounds to your grass from the hot tub water are chlorine and other chemicals used to sanitize and treat the water.
Although chlorine is harsh, it dissipates fast when you leave the hot tub open. Therefore, on the day of draining the hot tub, you should retest the chlorine levels, and if it doesn’t read zero, leave the hot tub open for several hours and retest again before draining.
Another aspect of your hot tub water that can kill the grass is the high temperatures. Even if you think the temperatures are mild and feel safe for the grass in your lawn, it can be too hot and damage the grass.
My advice would be to turn off the temperature when you intend to drain your hot tub in about two days. This period might sound long but remember your hot tub’s insulation can slow the loss of temperatures from your hot tub water in the summer months, especially.
What is The Best Way to Drain My Hot Tub?
The most common method is using a garden horse, a submersible pump, and emptying into the kitchen sink. A submersible pump can drain the spa much faster than other methods. It is also easy because you don’t require to remove the siding or hook up the garden hose to the underwater drain.
After adding the submersible pump into the hot tub, it will drain the spa entirely in less than an hour. This saves you time because it can take up to half a day or longer if you choose to drain the unit with other methods.
Before you initiate the draining process, submerge the pump into the bottom of the shell properly. The little water remaining after you have drained the hot tub can be removed using a wet-dry vac.
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Submersible Pump
Submersible pumps are a popular method that many hot tub owners use to drain their hot tubs. The pumps vary in horsepower, rating on the energy efficiency, brand, and size.
Draining the spa should involve lowering the pump so that the inlet is entirely under the water. It should then be hooked to the hose and turned on to start draining.
A submersible pump is the best option for people wishing to drain their hot tubs.
It’s always good to keep an eye on the water level to avoid leaving the pump running dry when all the water has drained.
A submersible pump is usually inexpensive as you can get it for between $50 and $100. However, I encourage you to ensure that you connect to a garden hose to take the water to the safest point.
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Hose
Using a garden hose is also an excellent and straightforward method to drain your hot tub, especially if you drain the water into your home.
While most hot tubs have draining holes, some have a threaded portion in which you can add a spigot and a hose. If you have this type of hot tub, hook up a three-quarter-inch spigot into the drain and connect it to a hose. Then allow the water to start draining downhill through the spigot and the hose.
In rare cases, a backwashing hose is also used by some hot tub owners. The method is rare because it works where you have filters you can backwash. You can use this method by hooking up the backwash hose, turning the valve to an appropriate setting, and allowing the water to flow.
I recommend the Flexzilla garden hose for its length and durability.
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Kitchen Sink
The kitchen sink is also a great way of draining your hot tub, but this method is recommended for chlorinated water that you don’t intend to reuse.
The kitchen drain takes the contaminated water to the municipal sewer line for treatment before release to the environment. Since the chlorinated hot tub water can harm vegetation and animals, collecting it in the kitchen sink drain is always a great option.
How Often Should You Drain Your Hot Tub?
You should drain your hot tub between three to four times a year. But this frequency can vary with how often you use the hot tub.
But it would be best not to confuse this with sanitizing, which is required after every week. The process of draining your hot tub and cleaning will take at least one hour, which is worth it to ensure that your hot tub is always clean.
The exact time to drain your hot tub should be informed by signs like a bad smell from the water. On the same note, check whether or not the water gets clear after sanitizing.
It’s good to drain and clean the hot tub if you haven’t used it for some time or after a specific interval that you have determined from your own experience.
Sometimes you should drain and clean your hot tub if you have had many guests lately or increase the frequency of use even if you don’t observe any signs that suggest the need for draining.
Remember that prevention of problems is better than waiting for something to happen to the spa.
Where To Drain a Hot Tub In a Rural Area
If there is no septic sewer system in your area, the best way to dispose of hot tub water is to allow all chlorine and bromine to dissipate completely. First, test the water, and if chlorine and bromine levels are zero, then drain into an area on your property with no vegetation or animals.
Check With Your Local Bylaws For Hot Tub Water Disposal To Be Sure
If you want to be on the safe side with the law, check the local bylaws for the hot tub water disposal rather than working with assumptions.
Bylaws vary across locations, so it is wise to check and ensure you understand what the guidelines in your local area require.
The last experience you wish to happen to you is encountering troubles with the local regulations because you missed an essential guideline on hot tub draining.
The standard precautions will usually avoid draining the hot tub to the open environment if the water is untreated. In addition, you’ll be offered guidelines on connecting to the local sewer line for safe disposal.
How To Dispose of Hot Tub Water: Conclusion
The state of chemical composition in your hot tub water determines how it shall be drained. For example, if the water is chlorinated, you should drain it into the local sanitary sewer line for safe disposal.
But if you have treated and dechlorinated the hot tub water, you can safely drain it to the lawn or the storm sewers.
It’s good to note that chlorinated hot tub water can kill grass in your lawn. However, you can connect the hot tub to the kitchen sink, a hose, and a submersible pump to drain the water.
Always remember to check with the local regulations to prevent running into trouble with municipal regulators.
I hope this article on how to dispose of hot tub water was helpful.
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James Brockbank
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
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