RO soap wash water safe?

[Lazarus]

I'm trying to figure out where to put my wash water. My sugarhouse is on a septic system. I can either let wash go down the drain to the septic tank, or drain it outside. My land tilts downhill toward my pond, plus I have chickens and whatnot walking around eating things in the lawn. And ducks playing in puddles.

I currently output eveything except the starting rinse in a 200 gallon tank, which is filled in the process. When I do an acid wash AND a soap wash they seem to neutralize each other perfectly and I feel like I'm ok with either septic or the yard. Is this right?

Many days I just want to do a soap wash. Do I need to neutralize this before it goes down the drain?

Overall I'm really concerned about where these products get washed to, and whether I have to neutralize before I discard them. Like pan acid, which takes a monumenal amount of baking soda to neutralize, and even then I don't know where it's safe to put it.

Any guidelines here?

[Dennis H.]

I dump all my permeate to the yard when I do a rinse.
When I do a soap wash I will neutralize it then send it to the yard. I then will do a long rinse cycle.
I have not noticed any issues with the grass in that area. I use a long garden hose, about 100', to get the water flowing to area away from any place that I do not want a lot of water to be. Our yard is sloped so I have no problem with the hose freezing, it self drains.

I do the same thing when I do an acid wash. I wash, then neutralize, then send to yard.

FYI, I would not send acid or soap wash to the yard without 1st neutralizing them and I would not even think about sending any of them including permeate to septic tank.

[Lazarus]

I definitely don't send permeate to septic. It goes on the ground, or into tanks for use later.

What do you neutralize your soap wash with? Can used pan acid be used for that?

[wiam]

I definitely don't send permeate to septic. It goes on the ground, or into tanks for use later.

What do you neutralize your soap wash with? Can used pan acid be used for that?

I use sodium bicarbonate.

[Lazarus]

Sure sodium bicarbonate will work on an acid to neutralize it, like on citric acid that is used to do an acid wash. But RO soap is a strong alkaline isn't it ? (being lye based). Sodium bicarbonate would only make it even more basic. I was wondering more about what you would use for neutralizing soap to lessen the alkalinity.

[wiam]

Sure sodium bicarbonate will work on an acid to neutralize it, like on citric acid that is used to do an acid wash. But RO soap is a strong alkaline isn't it ? (being lye based). Sodium bicarbonate would only make it even more basic. I was wondering more about what you would use for neutralizing soap to lessen the alkalinity.

That is what state of VT recommends. Works on mine. I use a pH meter. I think it is about 1/2 cup to bring mine to PH 7 after a soap wash.

[Tweegs]

Why not use citric acid to neutralize the lye (alkaline) and vice-versa?

Add a little at a time until the PH is back to 7.

[Bricklayer]

I think Dr Tim posted a while back on how wash water was supposed to be handled. I tried searching for the post but couldn't find it. I'll keep looking.

[wiam]

Why not use citric acid to neutralize the lye (alkaline) and vice-versa?

Add a little at a time until the PH is back to 7.

Sodium bicarbonate is cheaper when purchased in 50 lb bags.

[wiam]

http://vermontmaple.org/wp-content/u...wash-water.pdf