Whether it is because you want to completely empty the pool to clean it or because of the rain, you had to empty part of it, it is common to wonder if can be irrigated with pool water or we will cause damage to our plants.
To find the solution, we must understand what is the water in our swimming pool. Initially, without knowing too much, we can understand that the very large amount of chlorine it contains to keep it clean is absolutely toxic to plants and we will kill them.
Nothing could be further from the truth…
We are going to know what are the normal parameters that must have pool waterin particular the chlorine content (because it is an element which, in excess, generates phytotoxicity for plants) and conductivity.
Contents
Ideal parameters for a swimming pool and for irrigation
| Optimal parameters for a swimming pool | use for watering |
| pH: between 7 and 7.8 | suitable for watering |
| Free chlorine: 0.5-2.5 mg/L | Up to 30 mg/L without toxicity problems in sensitive species |
| Temperature: 24-30°C | suitable for watering |
| Nitrates: <20mg/L | suitable for watering |
| Iron: <0.3mg/L | suitable for watering |
| Copper: <1.5mg/L | suitable for watering |
| Conductivity: <1.7mS/cm | suitable for watering |
| Hardness: 150-250mg/L | suitable for watering |
Water with pool water
Looking at the data above, you can water any type of plant in your garden without any problemincluding susceptible species.
In fact, most well water in areas with low access to water, such as the Mediterranean coast, in many cases uses lower quality irrigation water, both in terms of chlorine content and conductivity. total.
Therefore, if you need to partially or completely empty the pool, do not doubt that you can enjoy the water to water your plants.
Of course, avoid mixing the water with inorganic fertilizers, as they add a considerable volume of salts which can increase the final conductivity of the water.
If in doubt, measure the conductivity
If you have a saltwater pool, it is usually much more dilute in salt than seawater, so in most cases you can irrigate with pool water of this type as well.
However, as there are many exceptions, measuring conductivity is the best and easiest way to check if you can irrigate. In general, below 3 mS/cm it is suitable for irrigation, although species very sensitive to sodium would be avoided.
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the conductivity meter It’s a very simple and inexpensive device to get, and it’s part of any pool kit you can find.