Many homeowners look forward to enjoying their beautiful swimming pools to escape the heatwave during these summer months. However, when it comes time to drain or partially drain your pool, you might wonder, “Will pool water damage grass?” or “Can I drain my pool water on my lawn?” in your surrounding landscape. Let’s dive into the effects of pool water on your lawn and how to avoid any potential negative consequences.
Chlorine and Saltwater Pools: Understanding the Differences
Before we get into the question of whether pool water will damage grass, it’s important to understand the two main types of pools: chlorine, and saltwater. These will have different effects on your landscape.
Chlorine Pools
Chlorine pools use chemicals like sodium hypochlorite to sanitize the water. Unfortunately, when these chemicals accumulate and concentrate in the pool water, they can potentially harm your grass if you decide to drain the water onto your lawn.
Saltwater Pools
Saltwater pools rely on salts that naturally contain chlorine to sanitize the water. While these pools are less likely to damage your grass due to the lower concentration of chemicals, too much salt in your soil can still create problems, especially in Texas where the soil is known to have a high sodium content.
How Chlorine and Salt Affect Your Grass
Draining pool water onto your lawn can have different effects on your grass, depending on the type of pool and the chemical concentrations in the water.
Chlorine’s Effects on Grass
High levels of chlorine are toxic to plants, and grass is no exception. When you drain a heavily chlorinated pool directly onto your lawn, you risk:
- Burning the grass: Chlorine can cause grass to turn yellow or brown, especially when it is hot and sunny outside. This can lead to dead or damaged patches on your lawn, which can be difficult to repair.
- Impacting soil health: High concentrations of chlorine in the soil can negatively affect the balance of nutrients and bacteria that your grass needs to thrive.
Salt’s Effects on Grass
While saltwater pools are generally considered to be less harmful to your landscape, excessive amounts of salt can still have negative consequences:
- Dehydrating the grass: Salt can leach the water out of your grass’s roots, causing dehydration and possible death.
- Creating a saline environment: High levels of salt in soil can make it difficult for your grass to absorb the nutrients it needs to grow and stay healthy, leading to discoloration, slow growth, and patchiness.
In Small Amounts
If your children are prone to splashing in the pool or a little water falls out, don’t worry. Your lawn can handle small amounts of pool water perfectly fine!
Our Recommendations:
If you need to drain your pool and don’t want to hire a professional, we recommend draining your pool slowly over a few days. For the 10 days leading up to draining it, don’t add any more chlorine, salt, or chemicals to dilute the concentration as much as possible, and let it sit in the sunlight.
When it’s time to actually begin emptying the pool, move the hose around as the water comes out. This is to avoid flooding areas and potentially damaging plants. Make sure to be aware of neighbors, wildlife, and sensitive plants (like fruit trees, roses, and jasmine) so that you don’t accidentally damage other property. We recommend repeating this process over a few days to lessen the chances of flooding.
Especially in Texas where our summers can be very dry, we recommend getting your lawn aerated a few days after you complete the draining process. Aerating your lawn helps your grass grow deeper roots and thrive, even in the dry summer. Get a free quote for our aeration service HERE!
Overall, pools can help you and your family get through these hot summer days. It’s important to properly maintain your pool so that you don’t have to sacrifice your lawn!
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