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Canada

Ok the water I use for watering comes from the house
we have a "water Softener" which basically puts salts into the water to make it softer ( something like that anyhow)

I was wondering if this water is hamfull to plants in any way?

also the city must be putting allot more chlorine into the water then years before its now at the point were its not drinkable because it tastes like pool water HA HA, I do have 2 45 gal drums set-up to collect rain water off the roof of the house but we havent recieved enough rain since I hooked them up to collect any, Tomouro is my watering day if i filled at least one of the barrels up with tap water, If say I let this water sit in the open for a good week would most of the chlorine and other salts and what not evaporate from the water in that time?

just curious as i never thought about the water softener haveing an effect on plants in the garden so I thought I would ask
thanks

Dave

5/31/2005 9:27:55 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

I would say after a week the clorine would evaporate, and if you are using a hose bib to fill your barrels, use one that is BEFORE the softener, then no worries about salt

Gary

5/31/2005 9:33:36 PM

Montoursville, PA

Good point...on the hose bib installed ahead, of the softener. Chlorine will evaporate off even faster than the time you suggested. The salts over time and repeated use will indeed be a factor, to deal with. Spend a few bucks if you do not have a source ahead, of the softener. You will save money using untreated water. You may be using untreated water, in part, of your house. Way back in 1947 my dad had the plumber by pass the softener, to service the waste water used, to flush the sanitary waste system. He did not want the salts, in the drain fields under our lawn.

People with sand beds, for sanitary disposal, make these considerations, for the same reasons. They need, to keep the bacteria healthy, to maintain a good system.

5/31/2005 9:54:22 PM

Canada

Thanks for the info, I may just seeing tomouro is going to be a nice day, just take a trip down to the river and fill up 10 water jugs I got laying in the garage
to use to water my young plants, Forcast is calling for rain next week so that should fill up one of my large drums if not both if it rains enough

thanks again

Dave

5/31/2005 11:05:04 PM

Chico, Ca

industry uses high intensity uv lights to break down chlorine.Chlorine is put in the water as a gas. Not even remotely like the liquid you use at home.different chemical makeup. The uv breaks it down in seconds and will give you a nice tan too if you pull it out of the cannister..

6/1/2005 9:10:46 AM

Oz

I belive,,I may be wrong,,,that there is a ionic way to trap salts,,,might be to costly.
solar powered ?electroplating??.
You can build a small wetland filter.

Kolb,,where does the clorine gas go? air vent?
uv kills some bugs also,,yes?

You can use ultrsonic cleaners to degas liquids.
Careful,,,I was messing with 10gal.soda water and a ultrasonic cleaner,and started to gag.

6/1/2005 9:47:12 AM

Phoenix, AZ

Something to know about softeners: They work on the idea of eliminating calcium and magnesium to be replaced with sodium.

you do NOT want sodium in your patch. It disperses the soil and makes it more difficult for water and air to enter. I know because I have plenty in my patch. If you truly need to use the softener, use postassium chloride as your softener not sodium chloride. It is more expensive, but at least your plant will use the potassium.

Use those cheap pool testing strips to find out how much chlorine you really have. I tested mine this way and over the course of months, I found the worst chlorine content I ever had was about 1/2 PPM. I will take chlorine issues any day over sodium.

6/1/2005 10:22:51 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Good point Ben. I liken the miniscule amount of chlorine in city tap water to the impact a gnat would have on the forward speed of a speeding freight train. As close to ZERO as possible.

6/1/2005 8:07:50 PM

Brillion Wisconsin

I know some people use Potassium Cloride instead of Sodium Cloride(salt) in their water softeners. Something to look into if your interested.

6/2/2005 11:44:51 AM

Chico, Ca

I have not talked to our chemical guys but I believe the chlorine is changed on a molecular level into some thing else.

6/3/2005 8:14:00 AM

Sloughhouse, CA

We also have a water softener. We have one line inside to water plants inside. All our lines outside are straight from the well. Once in a while my husband forgets and uses soft water on the inside plants. Not a good idea.

6/22/2005 2:03:20 AM