Will Chlorine Water Kill Grass?

Many people are concerned about the potential of their chlorine pool water to kill their grass.  Homeowners with a pool typically want their lawn and gardens looking as good as their pool.  Ryno Lawn Care offers a full service lawn care option to make sure you lawn looks great all year long.

There are a few factors on which it depends, including the concentration of chlorine in the water and how long it is exposed to the grass.

To understand how chlorine water affects grass, we must first understand what it is and how it works. Chlorine water is water that has been treated with chlorine gas or sodium hypochlorite.  Chlorine is a powerful disinfectant that kills bacteria, viruses, and other organisms.

Beside being added to swimming pools, it is added to public drinking water supplies to make them safe for human consumption.  Wastewater is treated with chlorine through a process called, liquid chlorination and then used for residential purposes.

What Effect Will Diluted Chlorine Have On My Lawn?

The term “diluted chlorine” means that the chlorine concentration is low. This means that when chlorine is diluted, it becomes a weaker form of chlorine.  Pool water has diluted chlorine in it.

Splashes of pool water will not harm your grass.  But, adding a large amount of diluted chlorine to your lawn may indeed kill your grass.

For example, if you decide to drain your pool, that amount of chlorinated water on your grass will cause irreversible damage.  It is recommended to dilute the water even more than normal before draining.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has stated that the chlorine concentration level should be 1 ppm for pools and 3 ppm for hot tubs with a pH level between 7.2-7.8.

As long as the pH of your soil stays between 6.0 to 7.0, it remains in the ideal condition for grass to grow.  Don’t Guess – Soil Test.  Your lush, green turfgrass will thank you for maintaining optimal conditions.

What Effect Will Undiluted Chlorine Have On My Lawn?

The term “undiluted chlorine” means that the chlorine concentration is much higher, and there is only a little or no water present.

If you accidentally spill undiluted chlorine to your lawn while you are working on your pool, your grass will become damaged.  The chlorine will not only dissolve minerals present in the soil but will also alter the pH level of the grass.

Chlorine can also damage the grass by causing it to become brittle and dry. The color of the grass present in your lawn will start to turn light green or yellow, and it will die within three to five days.

If somehow undiluted chlorine gets on your lawn, you should immediately start your water sprinkler system. Try to dilute the chlorine without overflowing your lawn with water.

Conclusion

Using chlorine is a popular way to disinfect water, but it does need to be handled properly, especially in its undiluted form.

Whether chlorine water will kill your grass will depend on the chlorine concentration levels and the length of contact time between the chlorine and the grass.

Typical splashes of chlorinated pool water or wet pool feet walking through the grass is not going to hurt your turfgrass, unless a very large amount is poured onto it.  So go ahead and get that pool.  Summer is here.  You deserve it.

Give fresh water to your grass regularly to keep it healthy.  That way any toxins that may have stuck onto your grass blades will be quickly washed away.

Call us at Ryno Lawn Care.  We would love to install landscape lighting along the path leading to your pool or even help with landscaping around the pool.

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