Can potassium chloride regenerant wastes from a water softener be used for irrigating lawns?
It is true that living plants take up and utilize potassium, whereas plants cannot use sodium. However, there is far more potassium in softener KCl brines than plants or grasses can normally use. Potassium that is not taken up by plants is held in the soil by clay and organic matter. Excessive build up of either potassium or sodium in the root zone of plants can inhibit plant growth. It is possible however to collect the KCl regenerate wastes from a water softener in a third tank, dilute it with non-softened water and apply it to well established lawns. The Water Quality Association recommends, in such cases, a minimum dilution of 75 parts of non-treated water with each one part of regenerant waste water. We also advise that grass clippings be removed at each mowing, and that the lawn be irrigated with non-treated water at least once between each application of diluted softener regenerate waste water. Ornamental plants and fruits and vegetables are often more sensitive to dissolved sal
