It’s estimated that around 85% of American homes are supplied with hard water. This is water that has an elevated concentration of dissolved minerals that can cause a host of problems in the home. Plumbing systems and water using appliances can be damaged, and hard water can even dry out the skin and make hair brittle. So, it should come as no surprise that many people install a water softener to remove the hardness from their water supply. But, there is a persistent question to answer, “ is softened water safe to drink?”. In this article, we take a closer look at why this question is asked and answer it for you.
Understanding the Ion-Exchange Process
When we talk about modern water softeners, we need to establish that we’re covering those models that use an ion-exchange process. Why? The ion exchange process is well understood, reliable, and the most widely used. This process diverts the incoming water supply to a media tank that contains resin beads with a coating of salt (sodium or potassium-based) with a positive charge. The mineral ions in the hard water are drawn to the resin bead surfaces, they stick to them, and the salt ions are transferred to the water.
Over time the resin bead surfaces become clogged with dissolved mineral ions, and the efficiency of the ion exchange process drops. The system deals with this problem with a regular brine water flush which is known as the regeneration cycle. The mineral ions are flushed into the drain, and a fresh coat of brine prepares the resin media beads for the ion exchange process.
Is Softened Water Safe to Drink?
The short answer is yes, but there is a caveat to consider carefully. It is true that a minute quantity of sodium is added to the water, and this could represent a health risk for someone that’s especially sensitive to salt. In fact, softened water is even a bad option for watering some plants because the sodium level is a little too high for them.
The level of salt added to the water will vary depending on the hardness and how much softening is required. If you live in an area with a water hardness of 400 ppm or more, you may want to consider avoiding drinking that softened water entirely. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and infants with undeveloped kidneys should stay under a strict limit of 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Cats and dogs have limited sodium tolerances too, and sudden changes can make them ill and dehydrated.
It’s important to understand that the levels of sodium added are barely perceptible for most healthy people, and it represents no threat to their health. People that are sensitive to sodium could consider a switch to a potassium-based water softener salt which is more benign in nature. Another option would be to consider a water softening alternative, such as an electronic water descaler or a reverse osmosis filtration system for drinking water.
If you want to learn more about reverse osmosis filtration and water softener systems, contact your local water treatment specialist.
About The Author:
Greg Scott is President of Valparaiso based Miracle/EcoWater Systems, the premier water conditioning company in Northwest Indiana serving the Lake, Porter, and LaPorte County areas. A 3rd generation water treatment professional, Greg grew up in the family owned business started by his grandfather in the late fifties. He has made water treatment his life, and under his direction and high-standards, the company’s water treatment experience, knowledge, and products are unrivaled in the region.