Safety of dumping API test waste water into the drain

[dragon14]

Hello,

Yesterday I realized that I don't know how safe it is to dump wastewater from the API water test kits down the drain... some of the chemicals are pretty nasty with warnings about severe burns, etc and that made me think, is it okay to dump down the drain?

Is it safe to dump the waste water from the test kits down the drain? Also, we have a well, so it's not city or town water.
If not, what do we do with it?

Hubby suggested a milk jug, which would take quite a while to fill. Not sure where we'd dump it after but. If we did dump it in the milk jug, would it be safe to dump the wastewater from all the tests in it?

I'm sure other people have thought about this before, although I've never come across the question before in my fish research, although I haven't done too much reading yet.

Thanks everyone in advance and if there's anything else I missed or forgot to ask, please feel free to chime in!

 

[Fishdude3233]

I just dump it outside but not in a garden or anything.


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[dragon14]

Thanks I might do that!

 

[PB_Smith]

I think it would present more of an environmental hazard just dumping it outside much, much more so than down the drain.
Any municipal water treatment would be than sufficient to handle the infinitesimal amounts of chemicals added to the millions of gallons of waste water being processed.
If going into a septic system, it may produce issues with the bacteria in the system over time, but I really kinda doubt it.

Just dumping it outside is the least responsible way to dispose of it.

plus I can't think of any way it could effect your well water unless your well and septic system are not designed properly.

 

[dragon14]

Thanks PB! After I was thinking about it more, I realized that may not be the best way to go, and it doesn't seem too responsible either.

I did a little online searching too (I was going to anyway, but I always like to ask myself too) and found a few other threads on various forums where this subject was touched on. The general consensus was that it should be fine. It's diluted in the test tube, then its further diluted when washed down the sink, then further once it gets into the septic tank. So it's probably fine. We just worry since you know, we eventually drink that water again. Also I was a little concerned about it damaging our pipes, but, it's diluted so it should be fine.

We have a well and a septic tank, no municipal water here.

Thank you for the reply!

 

[Fishdude3233]

I think it would present more of an environmental hazard just dumping it outside much, much more so than down the drain.
Any municipal water treatment would be than sufficient to handle the infinitesimal amounts of chemicals added to the millions of gallons of waste water being processed.
If going into a septic system, it may produce issues with the bacteria in the system over time, but I really kinda doubt it.

Just dumping it outside is the least responsible way to dispose of it.

plus I can't think of any way it could effect your well water unless your well and septic system are not designed properly.

Really then I'll stop doing that. But in all honesty 4 mil of solution isn't going to do much. Please also work on re-phrasing your collects from now on, they feel very much like an attack. And several other people on different threads feel that way as well


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[Fishdude3233]

Really then I'll stop doing that. But in all honesty 4 mil of solution isn't going to do much. Please also work on re-phrasing your collects from now on, they feel very much like an attack. And several other people on different threads feel that way as well


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I drain hundreds of gallons of dirty tank water down my driveway and I'd be more concerned with that, because there are far more chemicals in it then testing equipment. And it could have TB in it or other fish to human diseases.


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[dragon14]

We always dump our old tank water down the driveway, but the test tube waste water we have been putting down the drain. Dumping it outside is probably worse than putting it down the drain. We just don't want to harm ourselves or any other living creatures.

I hope I didn't sound attack-ish at all, I was just agreeing that it doesn't sound very responsible.

 

[Fishdude3233]

You didn't sound attack ish but PB has been lets just say "annoying other members with the way he posts stuff. He has great info but doesn't always word it right"


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[dragon14]

I gotcha. I didn't think it seemed bad really.

I haven't read too much around the forum yet, I am still pretty new, and full of questions!

 

[Fishdude3233]

It wasn't as bad as some of his posts but it's a accumulation. I'm done talking on this thread though I for want to get a warning or anything
Good day.


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[PB_Smith]

Really then I'll stop doing that. But in all honesty 4 mil of solution isn't going to do much. Please also work on re-phrasing your collects from now on, they feel very much like an attack. And several other people on different threads feel that way as well


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Actually from what I read, I'm more articulate and concise in my communications here than most, so I have absolutely no need to think about re-phrasing my posts. I express exactly what I want exactly in the manner I want it to be perceived. I know exactly what/how I am communicating.

Could you please be more specific as what constitutes an "attack", especially in my above post.
I find it hard to believe that saying what a person is doing is irresponsible is an attack especially considering the treatment I have seen some folks receive over something as silly as the type of fish they choose to keep. I've seen rather viscous personal attacks and insults levied at others over simply differences of opinion.
What I posted is not opinion, it IS irresponsible to just dump any chemicals onto the ground.

In reality it is more that I don't just mindlessly agree with the consensus all the time nor do I simply parrot back info.

"several other people on different threads feel that way as well"

Cool, I'm the topic of conversation.


seriously though, it is your remarks here that constitute more of an attack against me than anything I have posted in this thread.


maybe I should talk to a mod.......

 

[Fishdude3233]

I'm sorry I was having a bad day at school, and was very much on edge. We should take this to pm though because BOTH of us will get warned for going off topic.

Edit: I never "parroted" anything, there has et been a trees like this that I've seen since I joined last August....

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[PB_Smith]

I drain hundreds of gallons of dirty tank water down my driveway and I'd be more concerned with that, because there are far more chemicals in it then testing equipment. And it could have TB in it or other fish to human diseases.


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Now you see if you lived here, in Southern Ca., you would be getting huge fines for doing that as everything here eventually makes it way to the ocean, and the closer you get to the coast the more stringent they are about dumping into the sewers.

 

[Fishdude3233]

Now you see if you lived here, in Southern Ca., you would be getting huge fines for doing that as everything here eventually makes it way to the ocean, and the closer you get to the coast the more stringent they are about dumping into the sewers.

Ok we'll then maybe this is a principle of location. In Atlanta the closest beach is 3 hour drive east.

Edit: what do people with fish rooms do? Most of us just drain down the driveway with a python, do they walk the buckets up to a sink?!?

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[Delapool]

Ok we'll then maybe this is a principle of location. In Atlanta the closest beach is 3 hour drive east.

Edit: what do people with fish rooms do? Most of us just drain down the driveway with a python, do they walk the buckets up to a sink?!?

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About 50gal a week goes on the garden. Used to get great strawberries but the darn dog eats them all now.

If I'm treating with meds I'll put it on the lawn just in case. Test tube solution just goes down the sink as it's handy and I have to rinse them out.

 

[dalto]

Edit: what do people with fish rooms do? Most of us just drain down the driveway with a python, do they walk the buckets up to a sink?!?

The Python in my small fish room was connected to a sink so all the waste water went down the drain.

 

[Fishdude3233]

Gotcha for me the closest sink I'd 100+ feet away.


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[dragon14]

PB_SMITH,

I don't think that what you wrote was attack-ish either, I completely agree with what you wrote.

Also we should all bear in mind that when reading things that others say online, we are missing voice tone, facial expressions and cues, etc.. so it can be easy to interpret things one way when they weren't meant to be that way.

I'm glad you two are making your peace.

And again thank you PB for replying about this subject, for others may come across and read what you wrote and hopefully change their behavior if they are dumping test water on the ground. What do you think about dumping regular old tank water down the driveway? That's what we've been doing, and it's really not that much different than dumping it down the sink in my opinion, which, we don't really have a sink that would work very well for dumping our bucket into anyway.

Edit: I read back what you wrote, and we are not anywhere near an ocean, but we do have rivers. But I don't think we are close enough for our tank water to make it into one.

I guess we could dump it down our sink, but it would be pretty cumbersome, not to mention we do our dishes in there. Dumping it in the bathroom sink is out of the question, it is too small.

 

[PB_Smith]

I dump my waste salt water down the toilet, waste fresh water goes outside in the yard/garden.
like I said, you can get fined for dumping stuff down the drain/gutters. You can even get cited for washing your car in the driveway in some cities or even washing down your driveway, but that also has to do with the drought conditions we are currently enjoying, so......

and I second your remarks about online communication being devoid of all the little clues and body language that face to face communication uses to determine intent and demeanor.

Trust me, I put on the page exactly what I wish to convey to the reader as precisely and succinctly as possible always taking into account my audience.