Chlorination Levels in Irrigated Water - Ask Extension
Hello,
We are going to disinfect our residential well with a chlorination reagent (in powder form) from a reputable laboratory. They were able to t...
Knowledgebase
Chlorination Levels in Irrigated Water #876578
Asked July 09, 2024, 8:04 PM EDT
Hello,
We are going to disinfect our residential well with a chlorination reagent (in powder form) from a reputable laboratory. They were able to tell us that we should expect around 4 PPM of chlorine in our water supply for up to 14 days, but decreasing significantly during that time.
My question is: is it safe to use our irrigation system to water our lawn (Kentucky bluegrass) during this time? Additionally, what is considered a safe chlorination level in PPM to look for, as we are able to test that level?
Thank you,
Ned Young <personal data hidden>
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
I have requested help from our turf expert. He is out of town until next week so there will be a delay in our response.
Our Extension turf expert is back in town. Here is his reply along with a link.
Chloride (what chlorine turns into in solution) in a water supply at 4 ppm will not be a concern for turf.
Turf
can actually tolerate more than 100 ppm (mg/L). I have seen instances
where a hot tub was emptied and there was some burn of the turf, but
that could have been from something other than chloride in the water
(hot tubs are normally much lower chloride content than what turf can
tolerate).
Here is a link from PSU that might be helpful:https://extension.psu.edu/irrigation-water-quality-guidelines-for-turfgrass-sites
Chloride (what chlorine turns into in solution) in a water supply at 4 ppm will not be a concern for turf.
Turf
can actually tolerate more than 100 ppm (mg/L). I have seen instances
where a hot tub was emptied and there was some burn of the turf, but
that could have been from something other than chloride in the water
(hot tubs are normally much lower chloride content than what turf can
tolerate).
Here is a link from PSU that might be helpful:https://extension.psu.edu/irrigation-water-quality-guidelines-for-turfgrass-sites
You are welcome.
