• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Water with 6,000 ppm salt...a saltwater pool/cistern?

 
gardener
Posts: 5170
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio,Price Hill 45205
1010
forest garden trees urban
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I want water harvesting for my "urban homestead".
My wife wants a pool.
I could do a pool if it could be my cistern as well.
Assuming we use a berkey water filter for drinking water,could we use water with 6,000 ppm salt in the rest of the system?
My skin is sensitive,lots of psoriasis. Salt water pools don't hurt my skin,actually they make it feel great!

So, filtered rainwater to fill a salt water cistern/pool,city water back up, laundry, toilet,dishes and shower drawn from the pool,water to be filtered for drinking diverted before it hits the pool.
Deeper is better than wider for such a pool...

Will it harm my plumbing?My washing machine?
Will it cost too much in electricity,muric acid or salt
Will the ebb and flow of water make it impractical as a pool?

I'm getting a high efficiency washer long before I'd try something like this,but it seems doable

 
pollinator
Posts: 240
Location: Northern New Mexico, Zone 5b
8
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The saline water will harm plumbing, especially copper, brass or steel components. PVC or PEX would be best for corrosion, but you often have brass components with PEX.  Washing machines would probably be harmed as well.  I suspect the metal components in the washer would fail prematurely (solenoids, pumps components, etc.)  It would probably also harm the water heater which consists mostly of metal components.

Determining how corrosive the water will be is somewhat difficult. You need more information on the water chemistry (and temperature).  The commonly used calculations  for determining how corrosive your water will be are the Langelier Saturation Index and Ryznar Stability Index.  Both of these assume low chloride concentrations typically found in potable water systems.  There are probably calculations for brackish water, I just have never used them or looked for them.    
 
Posts: 141
8
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Ardilla is right.  Salt water is very corrosive.  Sodium over about 125 ppm is death on plants too.  At 125 it takes a long time for enough salt to kill them, but is still fatal.

Most people will find salt water drying on their skin to be itchy.  There is a reason to shower after coming out of the sea.  (Sea runs about 30,000 ppm -- 5 times as salty)

World navies use salt water for a lot of things on board ship.  They would know how to protect your infra-structure from corrosion.

Salt water for your pool is also an issue.  Concrete is not fully waterproof.  Salt will move with water through the concrete and corrode the re-bar.

Compromise:  Make a salt water hot tub next to the pool.  Fill the pool with fresh water.  This would allow the hot tub to be whatever saline content you want.  10-15 percent.  Your very own 'dead sea'.  Have an open air shower adjacent to the hot tub with a fresh water rise so you don't go into the pool after.  Both can be heated with a coil of black Pex pipe on your roof, using a solar powered 12v bilge pump to circulate the water.

You can get additional warming of the pool if you paint the inner part of the pool black, or dark blue, with some markers on the bottom for depth cues.
 
William Bronson
gardener
Posts: 5170
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio,Price Hill 45205
1010
forest garden trees urban
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Ah, disappointing.
The effects onplants and concrete are non issues for me, but destruction of plumbing is a deal breaker.
Thanks for your replies!
 
Royal Flush Bitches! Pay up tiny ad:
rocket mass heater risers: materials and design eBook
https://permies.com/w/risers-ebook
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic