Pool Water and Your Lawn [ Steps to Keep Lawn Healthy ]

Anyone with a backyard pool will know that it is inevitable to avoid getting pool water in nearby areas. Whether it be drops from your feet or just splashes or larger amounts when emptying the pool. Since pool water often contains chlorine, which is a harmful chemical, will pool water kill grass?

No. Usually the water from your pool won’t cause much damage to the grass. Except in rare instances, chlorine in pools is very diluted and will not hurt your lawn. So, depending on what type of pool you have and what kind of spill you’re thinking of, the effects of pool water on your lawn might differ.

Even if you have a saltwater pool, excessive salt can also harm the grass in your lawn. So, in some cases, it is important to protect your lawn from the pool water.

Otherwise, you might lose your precious bed of grass. Let’s see how you can keep your poolside lawn healthy.

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Is Pool Water Bad for Your Lawn?

No, pool water isn’t harmful to your lawn in most cases. Your pool will usually have a deck surrounding it before it comes in contact with the grass on your lawn. Any contact with pool water will be from accidental splashes or dripping from your bodies when you leave the pool. In such small amounts, it doesn’t do any harm to the grass.

Depending on what kind of pool you have, your concerns might differ. If not chlorine, you might be wondering “Will water from a saltwater pool kill grass?” Let’s check out both of these concerns.

Chlorine in Pool Water

The most common element in pools is chlorine, which is known to be a harmful chemical in concentrated amounts. Because of this notion, it’s only natural to worry about whether all the chlorine from your pool is affecting the grass.

You don’t have to be concerned because the majority of the chlorine in the pool is so dilute that it scarcely affects the grass. Your pool water is safe for human skin and even babies, right? So it does not have the potential to harm grass.

But the concentration of chlorine is crucial here. If you accidentally spill some chlorine, while changing your pool’s pH for instance, into the lawn, then there is a chance of it killing your grass or harming your soil. Remember to wash over the grass with lots of water if this happens.

As a result, as long as your chlorine is extremely diluted (less than 0.1 ppm), you won’t have to worry about it hurting your lawn. Small amounts of chlorine are perfectly safe for both your grass and the soil.

Saltwater Pools

If you have a saltwater pool, on the other hand, you will likely have concerns over salt. Over-exposure to salt can dry out the soil and absorb all its moisture until finally, it won’t be able to sustain the growth of your grass anymore. It’s not a good idea to leave your grass exposed to large amounts of salt.

But similar to chlorine, if your grass is only exposed to the incidental splashes of saltwater now and then, it shouldn’t be a problem. It gets diluted by the water and small amounts won’t harm your grass, as long as it does not get accumulated.

Just to be safe try to water down your grass to get rid of any excess salt that might have gotten on it. You don’t have to do this every time you get into the pool, just once in a while will be just enough.

Is it Okay to Drain Pool Water Into The Lawn?

No, it is not a good idea to drain your pool water into the lawn. Draining pool water into your lawn can harm the grass.

Both salt and chlorine can be harmful to grass. These components being much diluted in the pool water, they don’t cause any harm to the grass. However, it is a whole different story when you are talking about draining the pool water.

All of the contents of your pool water, be it chlorine or salt or both will accumulate on your grass and also on the soil. This might be more than the concentration in which it is safe. So, it can end up killing your grass.

You can also end up flooding your land. This means the roots of your grass will be drowning, and the soil will become too wet. This might create a breeding ground for mosquitoes. If you must do it, then remember to wash the lawn down with a lot of fresh water to wash away the salt or chlorine.

This might not prevent flooding, but it will help with long-term damage to the soil. Excessive salt or chlorine in your soil can prevent the growth of grass in the future. So, if there’s no other way to save your lawn, you should focus on preserving the integrity of the soil. 

How Do You Protect Your Lawn from Pool Water?

While pool water will not usually harm your lawn, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. You can install a larger deck to keep your lawn further away from your pool, or you can even use artificial grass to get rid of the hassle altogether. You could also use the types of lawn turf which are more resistant to damage from pool water.

For a chlorinated pool, you are open to pretty much all options. You can use any type of lawn turf for your pool, as long as the chlorine is heavily diluted. They should be fine, with a few splashes from the pool.

In case you do expose your grass to excessive amounts of chlorine, try to quickly wash it down with large volumes of clean water. Ensure that all the chlorine is washed off or diluted.

If you have a saltwater pool, on the other hand, you can opt for the Sir Walter DNA Certified turf.

This Buffalo Grass is very tolerant to salt, and will usually heal even if it comes to any accidental contact with too much salt. Regardless, you should still try to wash it down if you are worried.

Now comes the third solution. You can choose to get artificial grass near the edge of your pool. This is getting more and more popular, and they are much less slippery than regular grass. Thus, making it easier for gripping and walking with wet feet.

If you have the option, you can build a large pool deck. This way none of the water gets into the lawn in the first place. This might only work for people who are planning on building a new pool or designing a new house. It won’t be of much help to people who already have one.

Lastly, try to keep a track of the pH of your pool water regularly. Keep an eye out for when it gets too acidic. High acidity can harm your lawn and you as well. As long as you are careful, your pool and lawn can peacefully coexist.

Learn How to Manage Your Pool and Hot Tub

Frustrated trying to keep your pool clear? Feeling confused about when to add the right chemicals? Get the perfect easy-to-use, illustrated ebook and video course today!

Conclusion

So, will pool water kill grass? No, but it is advised that you take a few preventive measures just to be safe. A few splashes here and there are inevitable and it’s fine as long as none of the content that comes in contact with your grass is too concentrated. And even if it does, you can just wash it down with more water.

There are also various ways you can actually protect your lawn from the pool water. I’ve mentioned them in this article. And I hope my instructions help you maintain your beautiful lawn.  Thanks for reading till the end.

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