I like the rain garden idea in theory, but I’m wondering how practical it actually is for pool water drainage specifically. Pool water usually has chlorine or salt treatment, right? Even if you're careful about chemical levels, wouldn’t regular draining into a garden area eventually affect the plants or soil health?
Last summer, my neighbor tried something similar—he routed his pool drain hose into a landscaped bed with native plants and mulch, thinking it'd be a great eco-friendly solution. It looked fantastic at first, but after a few drainings, some of his plants started turning yellow and struggling. He figured out later that even low chlorine levels were enough to stress out certain sensitive native species.
Maybe it depends on what plants you choose or how diluted your pool chemicals are before draining. But if you're regularly emptying water with chlorine or other treatments, you might want to do a little more research first. I've read that certain grasses or reeds can handle mildly chlorinated water better than typical flowering natives. Or maybe there’s some sort of filtering setup you could add before it hits the garden?
Don't get me wrong—I love the idea of using nature to handle drainage issues instead of digging trenches or installing French drains (been there, done that, not fun!). Just thought I'd point out the potential issue with pool chemicals since I've seen it firsthand.
Has anyone else here successfully used a rain garden specifically for pool drainage without plant damage? I'd be curious to hear if there's a trick to making it work consistently...
I've actually drained my pool water into a garden area for a few years now, and it's been pretty manageable with a couple tweaks. First off, chlorine dissipates fairly quickly if you let the water sit uncovered for a day or two before draining. I usually test the chlorine levels beforehand—once they're low enough, I haven't noticed any real issues with plant health.
Another thing that helps is choosing plants that tolerate slightly salty or chlorinated water. I've had good luck with ornamental grasses and sedges—they seem pretty hardy. Flowering natives can be sensitive, as you mentioned, but tougher groundcovers like creeping thyme or hardy succulents have held up well for me.
Also, spacing out drainings helps a lot. If you're constantly dumping treated water into the same spot, it'll build up and stress the plants eventually. Rotating between a couple different drainage areas gives the soil time to recover.
It's definitely doable without fancy filters or expensive setups—just takes a little planning and patience.
Glad to see someone else having success with this. I've recommended similar approaches to clients before, and you're right—letting the chlorine dissipate makes a huge difference. One homeowner I worked with had great luck using ornamental grasses too, especially fountain grass. It thrived even when he drained the pool regularly.
I will say, though, that rotating drainage spots is key. Another client kept draining into the same corner of his yard, and after a couple years, the soil got pretty compacted and salty. We ended up improving drainage there by mixing in some compost and sand to loosen things up again.
Overall, your approach sounds spot-on. A little patience and planning goes a long way...nice job figuring out what works!
"rotating drainage spots is key"
Totally agree with this—seen it myself. Have you tried adding a shallow rain garden or swale to help spread out the water naturally? Might save you some hassle down the road...
I've actually been thinking about a rain garden myself—sounds like a neat idea. But how deep do you think it needs to be? I'm worried about digging too much and hitting something historic underground...
