UNKNOWN REGULATION

8.2.07

A little known, and even less often followed or enforced, Connecticut regulation is one that requires water softeners, especially in new construction, be hooked up to drain their discharge into a completely separate dry well or other similar depository, outside of the main septic system. This is for all properties with private septic systems.

Water conditioning systems, depending on what they are ‘conditioning’ produce a variety of concentrated effluent, some of it slime producing bacteria, which can harm septic systems, as noted in last week’s column.

The regulation has been around for over a year, perhaps 2, but is mostly ignored, or, for older installations, not enforced. It would be an overwhelming issue to deal with by the (local) health departments,

If a separate drain system is not installed during new construction,-water softeners themselves are not mandatory equipment-it most likely gets ignored by some building departments. Besides being a possibly burdensome expense for pre-existing homes, "there are too many, more pressing issues, facing health departments, than trying to track down the existence of water softeners in homes", one health department head told me.

Building inspection companies are aware of the regulation but fortunately are not making an issue over it in their reports, since water softener equipment is an optional ‘choice’ for home users. However, if you read this and plan to build, plan ahead and install a separate drainage "well" in case such equipment is either installed at "build", or by any user later on.

©2007 R Leech features