 Water Softener Health Risks: Salt in Drinking Water
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Water Softener health risks & effect on drinking water: this article explains the health risks associated with water softeners or water conditioners: what are the effects of salt introduced into the water supply? How much salt does a water conditioner leave in the building's drinking water? We also discuss possible bacterial or pathogenic hazards that occur if a water softener drain is not properly connected with an air gap. Also see SALT OR WATER INTO SEPTIC.
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Health Risks of Water Softeners: Water Softener Salt in Drinking Water & Other Risks
How Much Salt Does a Water Softener Put Into Drinking Water?
A properly-adjusted water softener puts about 8 mg of salt (sodium, or NaCl) in each liter of treated
water for each grain of hardness removed. Water at 10 grains of hardness which has been processed by a water softener will have 80 mg of salt/L.
People on low-salt, low sodium, or no-salt diets, infants, and others who want to avoid salt may want to drink water from a tap that bypasses the water softener or that uses water that has had its salt removed after water softening such as water treated by reverse osmosis. -- , CMC, IBC and other sources.
If you are concerned about this salt level, also keep in mind that unless the drinking water supply has been tested and you have a detailed report, the level of various minerals (and other substances) that are in hard water which has not been processed by a water softener has an unknown level of minerals and other materials, possibly more significant than the 8 mg of sodium per liter of treated water.
A water softener which is improperly adjusted or malfunctioning may place higher levels of salt into the building
water supply. The salt level in the backwash discharge from a water softener can contain high levels of salt but that discharge
is not delivered to the building water supply but rather to a drain. See SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS for water softener adjustment advice.
In our water quality articles
we suggest that people who need to avoid salt even at low levels may want to install a bypass water line to deliver water
to one sink tap for drinking and cooking, or they can install a reverse osmosis system to remove salt from water (and other
contaminants) at the point of use, typically in the kitchen.
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What water contaminants can a water softener remove?
A water softener removes minerals from the water supply, particularly calcium and magnesium, and perhaps a limited amount of un-wanted iron in the water supply. Keep in mind that a water softener is not a water sterilizer. If your water supply is contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, or sediment, the water softener is not designed to remove those substances and other treatment or filtration may be needed.
More details about water softeners and their salt contribution to the drinking water supply and thus to the septic system can be read at SALT OR WATER INTO SEPTIC.
How Much Salt is in Water that has Passed Through the Water Softener?
The answer is ... it depends. If a softener is working correctly and is adjusted correctly then the salt level in treated water should be quite low. Kenmore gives this interesting example of the effect of sofened water on salt consumption:
Persons who are on sodium restricted diets should consider
the added sodium as part of their overall sodium
intake. For example, if your water supply is 15 grains
hard, and you drank 3 quarts of softened water you
would consume 335 milligrams of sodium. That is
equivalent to eating 2-1/2 slices of white bread. ...
Persons who are concerned about their drinking water
should consider a Kenmore reverse osmosis drinking
water system that will remove in excess of 90% of the
sodium and other drinking water contaminants. [8]
Also see REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER TREATMENT.
Watch out: if a water softener is not properly adjusted and maintained you may find that higher levels of salt are being placed into the building water supply.
Plumbing Cross Connections at the Water Softener - Bacterial Contamination Health Risks from Plumbing Cross Connections at the Water Softener
Plumbing cross Connections such as those we show in our water softener backwash/recharge drain tube connections at page top and just at left deserve a mention
while we're discussing water softeners.
A "cross connection" is
a direct physical connection between a building water supply pipe and a drain pipe.
This may sound like an unlikely event in buildings
but in fact it is common in a few instances: installers often make a tight connection between the water softener backwash/discharge drain
(usually a small diameter plastic tube) and a building drain.
While it is not unique to water softener installations, this plumbing error
is often made when these devices are installed. It is unsanitary and is a health risk.
Watch out: never connect a water softener drain tube or pipe directly to a building drain (as shown in our photographs above. Doing so risks back-siphonage of sewage into the water softener and thus risks dangerous contamination of the building water supply.
For bacteria contamination or other water contaminant test guidelines see WATER TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES. Also see CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING for details about cross connections and various places where they occur in building plumbing systems.
Cross connections are defined with further examples at Home Inspection Definitions & Terms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Water Softener Health Risks & Salt Dosages
Question: Is there a hazard drinking liquid brine?
Is there a hazzard drinking liquid brine - rios6419@yahoo.com 8/26/2012
Reply:
Certainly, no one would, should, nor could (without getting sick or vomiting) drink the salty brine found in a water conditioner salt tank.
If you were actually asking if there is a hazard drinking water that has been conditioned by a water softener and that might contain low levels of salt, start reading our answer at Health Risks of Water Softeners: Water Softener Salt in Drinking Water & Other Risks in the article above. If questions remain, just ask.
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- [1] North Dakota Standards for Water Softeners, North Dakota General Authority Law, Chapter 62-04-08, Water Softener Units http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/62-04-08.pdf. "The objective of this chapter is to provide a standard of quality, capacity,
and performance for water softener units. Water softener performance
is to be based upon referee tests procedures described in section
62-04-08-09."
- [2] Culligan Mark 10 Water Softener 1994-1998 Installation and Operating Instructions (covering models manufactured after 1995) (1-96) 01881948.pdf available from www.culligan.com
- [3] Water Softeners, CMHC, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/wawa/wawa_005.cfm - October 2008. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation acknowledges the contribution of Health Canada to the development of this document. For further questions regarding water treatment and water quality, contact Health Canada at watereau@hc-sc.gc.ca or call 613-957-2991 or 1-866-225-0709.
- [4] "Commercial Water Softener Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia) for commercial, industrial and residential application www.ibcwater.com.au (07) 3219 2233
- [5] "Non electric water softener,
Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia), op.cit.
- [6] "Water Softener Twin Tank Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia), op.cit.
- [7] Our Water Hardness Table used at originated with but was edited and added to from http://www.bestfish.com/tips/110598.html and also from http://www.water-research.net/hardness.htm
- [8] Kenmore Water Softener Use & Care Guide, Model 635.383000 (with a high flow valve), retrieved 2/14/2013, original source: http://c.sears.com/assets/own/896150e.pdf [ copy on file as Kenmore_Softener_No.625.383_Manual.pdf ]
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
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