This causes two problems.
Water softener drain field.
Most won t flow more than 2 7 gpm.
If you hear water running continuously in your drain you should track down the source to a leaky toilet tank faucet or malfunctioning water softener etc.
A study commissioned in 2012 by the water quality research foundation reported that brine discharge from well operated water softeners 50 gallons per regeneration showed no overflow.
The discharge from a water softeners regeneration will damage my septic system or drain field in studies conducted by scientists in the late 1970 s at the university of wisconsin it was confirmed that salt brine discharge from water softeners caused no problems in the operation of typical anaerobic or newer style aerobic home treatment.
If local code allows i would recommend diverting the softener backwash water to another location outside of the septic system.
The max gpm dlfc for a large residential softener would not be more than 5 gpm.
The discharge was no more or less than that of any other household water using appliance.
We have seen a septic drainfield completely flooded by a water softener that stuck in it s backwash cycle.
This is to prevent non potable water from flowing backwards possibly mixing and contaminating potable drinking water.
In fact it can lend a hand.
When the water softener resin is backwashed two or three times a week concentrated brine enters the wastewater stream as a slug of 38 to 112 gallons each backwash cycle.
Watch for malfunctioning water softening equipment.
A backwashed or regenerated filter can go to 10 gpm.
Well we have some good news.
One concern with water softeners and septic systems is that the amount and flow rate of the brine discharge can overflow a septic tank and back up the drain field.
This is a large surge load which can upset the settling process in the tank.
Finally it was feared that the salt brine produced by the softener would hamper the drainage field s ability to absorb water and affect bacterial populations.
One problem is that the septic tank discharges solids into the drainfield which can cause the soil to plug and the drainfield to fail.
According to most plumbing codes a water softener drain line must not be connected directly to the household waste system.
This assumption was based on agricultural studies of irrigation systems with a high sodium content.
A water softener dumps from 50 gallons to 100 gallons of water into the system when it regenerates.
A water softener does not pose a problem for your beloved septic system.
