Backwashing

[tandas]

So backwash straight onto your garden and wash it away unless you have an area you don't give a damn about. Barrels control the flow. As for what happens when it rains the same thing gets into the cracks and undermines the tarmac but at least it's natural. The Spanish house at the bottom of our road had to erect kerb stones to keep the backflush water from flooding their frontage every week.

[guest4538]

It really is simple.  If your pool chlorine is at a reasonable level. you can pump it into a plastic barrel - or two - and they do no cost a lot.  Leave it a couple of days, lids off.  Put it on the garden - the plants will not mind at all. Saves pumping illegally on to the road, and saves irrigation water too.  Chlorine kills everything?  Rubbish.  Chlorine is why your water is safe to drink!

So, I ask again: what's the purpose of the barrels?

Why prolong the task? Why not simply backwash straight into the garden? Or is it simply a matter of finding extra jobs to do, to alleviate retirement boredom?

[NorrieM]

It really is simple.  If your pool chlorine is at a reasonable level. you can pump it into a plastic barrel - or two - and they do no cost a lot.  Leave it a couple of days, lids off.  Put it on the garden - the plants will not mind at all. Saves pumping illegally on to the road, and saves irrigation water too.  Chlorine kills everything?  Rubbish.  Chlorine is why your water is safe to drink!

[Iceman]

chlorine is a soluble gas so it will disperse into the atmosphere ask any fish keeper you always spray the water into a tank to lose the chlorine out of the water be you let it into the tank

[Popsie]

We don't have any idea where our back water goes, cannot get an answer from the builder. We would love for it to go into barrels for the garden

[guest4538]

.... The effect of backwash water on tarmac road is it finds the cracks and undermines the area beneath causing collapse of road as in La Perla.

Oh dear, let's hope it doesn't rain.....

[tandas]

We used to backwash over our back wall onto rough ground and the old olive trees on there grew huge.  Then a new owner cleared it and planted new trees and told us not allowed to backwash onto his land.  So bought 2 barrels for backwash and rinse and put it on the garden now his new trees look like they could do with some watering!  We let it settle in the barrels to lose the same sand residue.  The effect of backwash water on tarmac road is it finds the cracks and undermines the area beneath causing collapse of road as in La Perla.

[Pinkgolf]

If it's illegal to allow backwash water from pools (chlorine or salt) to be pumped out onto the roads, why do so many pool cleaning businesses do it all the time. Do they not know the law??? Several of our neighbours have their pools cleaned on a regular basis (one a fortnight to once a month) by an assortment of different pool cleaning companies and they all backwash onto our road. We backwash ours straight into the rambla......seems to keep the olive trees happy  :93:

[Jo-JoB]

It is probably the same reason that it is illegal to wash your car in the street.  Water pouring down the road is considered to be a hazard.  However, why are you back-washing once a week.  You should only need to back wash when your filter is full.  If you filter fills up with one pool clean then you either have a very mucky pool or need to change your filter medium.

Agree,

I back wash direct onto the garden and my plants grow like crazy

[Elgin]

It is probably the same reason that it is illegal to wash your car in the street.  Water pouring down the road is considered to be a hazard.  However, why are you back-washing once a week.  You should only need to back wash when your filter is full.  If you filter fills up with one pool clean then you either have a very mucky pool or need to change your filter medium.

[Karen4]

The barrels have screw tops so can be open or closed. We don't need all the water every day so the water gets a chance to settle and evaporate where needed. Doesn't seem to be doing our plants any harm at all, and certainly better than spewing water out onto the main road where it's just wasted. I suppose now that Roger has clarified that it is illegal to divert waste pool water onto the road, offenders will now stop doing it!? Or maybe not.

[guest4538]

We backwash into a couple of big barrels, let the water sit a day or two and then use it in the garden with no ill-effects to the plants. As Roger says it's illegal to run your backwash waste onto the road, and so I suppose that if you still do it and cause damage to the road surface etc you might well be billed for repairs.
A couple of big water butts don't cost very much at all!

So what's the benefit of storing the water for two days before pouring it onto the garden, against pouring it straight onto the garden? Presumably the barrels are sealed, so there's no evaporation of chlorine. I think this process is a myth introduced by early immigrants! It seems the big barrels are simply an unnecessary eyesore in English immigrant gardens! Do the Spanish follow this regime? And let's be serious, do you really believe that pool water, with it's low level of chlorine, can have a detrimental effect on a bituminous road surface? It's just water...

[Karen4]

We backwash into a couple of big barrels, let the water sit a day or two and then use it in the garden with no ill-effects to the plants. As Roger says it's illegal to run your backwash waste onto the road, and so I suppose that if you still do it and cause damage to the road surface etc you might well be billed for repairs.
A couple of big water butts don't cost very much at all!

[lmj52]

What you have all got to realise it is called chemical dumping, when you release Chlorine without neutralising it.
Chlorine in any levels kills. Wildlife,plants and burns through most things when regularly dumped .

Are you sure about that? We backwash straight into our garden and the plants nearest that water supply seem to be performing better than the those in the rest of the garden.....

Yep agree. Seems to encourage growth!

[guest4538]

There are a few people in La Perla who backwash and empty their pools onto the road and nothing gets done about it, lack of police to enforce it could be one problem.
yes it does have it's effect on the road surface which could become a big problem as it continues.

As a retired highway engineer, I'd be interested to know the deleterious properties of chlorinated swimming pool water on tarmacadam or bituminous surfaces?

[CANDA]

We save our backwash in a tank along with the waste from the washing machine and leave for at least 3 days before using as recommended by a keen gardener. The guy who built our pool said he put the backwash on his oleanders straight away.
This is for chlorine maintained pools, if you have a salt water pool backwash must not be put on plants.

[guest4538]

What you have all got to realise it is called chemical dumping, when you release Chlorine without neutralising it.
Chlorine in any levels kills. Wildlife,plants and burns through most things when regularly dumped .

Are you sure about that? We backwash straight into our garden and the plants nearest that water supply seem to be performing better than the those in the rest of the garden.....

[1dezza2]

What you have all got to realise it is called chemical dumping, when you release Chlorine without neutralising it.
Chlorine in any levels kills. Wildlife,plants and burns through most things when regularly dumped .

[Tetley]

I Suppose glass half full at least theres some water ti back washi with....

[peacie]

My mum always said that two wrongs don't make a right, unless someone is trying to justify their own actions.  Just because someone else does, doesn't mean you should follow suit.

[packard]

Its anti-social, legal or not.

[sallyb]

There are a few people in La Perla who backwash and empty their pools onto the road and nothing gets done about it, lack of police to enforce it could be one problem.
yes it does have it's effect on the road surface which could become a big problem as it continues.

[bagwash]

maybe we should keep legalities in perspective, Spain appears to have many many many things which are illegal, a few being, double parking parking on the pavement walking your dog without a lead burning your own garden waste on your own land, popular topic on here illegal dumping of rubbish, building houses without permission corrupt officials and even peeing in the sea, whilst not condoning any of these, nor suggesting we do these but lets be sensible, what was that saying " When in Rome do as the . . . . . ."

[jenny911]

        I'm afraid I get fed up with the Backwashing in our road, 3 above us do it, and the water is running down past our gate. leaving a mess and wrecking the road below, already the road has collapsed once, and several holes appearing again :38: :c002:

[Sueandandyb]

What gets me if it is illegal how come the alfoquia public pool gets emptyed into the road

[Tetley]

Lets not get to reved up wi it all ,i think" poo in pots" were EU  banned in the late 80,s for unbanisation use........,wich is a little bit bigger prob localy than a chap back washin his pool, 

[Tetley]

My question is about pool backwashing. I have been brushing and then backwashing my pool once a week for years. The water which I have already paid for goes onto the road and then it disperses before it gets anywhere near a fresh water or storm drain, which means it does not go directly into the water system. I then pay again for the water that is coming in to top up my pool. I do understand you should not empty your pool this way, however I find it strange that people say it is illegal, even when because I do it once a week, I only backwash for about 2 mins each time. Could someone please confirm if it is illegal or just chitchat from busy bodies.
thanks

there is a load of google here wich should translate,it should be in there some were ,unless Mayor Done can list the Article number,ti save all the headwork & keyboard tapping

https://www.google.es/search?q=ley+piscina+privades+medio+ambiente+con+agua&oq=ley+piscina+privades+medio+ambiente+con+a&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.33i21k1j33i160k1.10771.13056.0.16549.6.6.0.0.0.0.158.799.0j6.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.4.546.syxAzhRzriE

[Roger]

The answer to your question is Yes.

[seashells]

Thanks Hogs, I have thought about a tank it's an ongoing project, however price is the stumbling block at present. I know that in the long rum I will save money this way, but it is the initial outlay.

[seashells]

My question is about pool backwashing. I have been brushing and then backwashing my pool once a week for years. The water which I have already paid for goes onto the road and then it disperses before it gets anywhere near a fresh water or storm drain, which means it does not go directly into the water system. I then pay again for the water that is coming in to top up my pool. I do understand you should not empty your pool this way, however I find it strange that people say it is illegal, even when because I do it once a week, I only backwash for about 2 mins each time. Could someone please confirm if it is illegal or just chitchat from busy bodies.
thanks