The Environmental Impact of Water Softeners: What You Should Know

While we are busy fixing one problem, another can arise as a direct result of our success with the first. Such is the case with water softeners, and as is so often true, it is the by-products that cause the issue.

The process of water softening brings benefits to the customer, or the householder, because hard water is not what we want. What makes it "hard" is the presence of the minerals, calcium and magnesium, which can leave a crust known as limescale inside a kettle (that is probably the most obvious sign), and white spots on glassware that has been in a dishwasher.

Similarly, calcium and magnesium can detach themselves from the water as we shower or wash our hair, leaving skin and hair feeling a little stiff, rather than the silky finish we want and expect.

These are the main reasons why we use a water softener, and while it may well achieve the desired result, the way salt-based softeners work is by trapping the minerals with resin beads and then flushing them away with salty water. This is now wastewater and disappears down the drain. But that is not the end of it.

Just as our ancestors used to put effluent into rivers and release smoke and gases into the air, thinking they would never be seen again, the salty water from softener systems finds its way into the world at large and can do damage to the environment.

Many Plants Can't Tolerate Salt

As any keen gardener who lives by the sea will tell you, having the ocean nearby is a mixed blessing. As majestic and soothing as it may be, the ocean generates spray containing salt, and many plants can't handle it. That is why people in coastal areas have to search for salt-tolerant plants, and their local garden centers will have stocks of less common varieties specifically with that in mind.

Away from the coast, an area where there are a lot of sodium-based water softeners can suffer from the same trouble.

In addition to the inconvenience to gardeners, this unwanted saltwater can harm the ecological balance of the area, with damaged plants failing to provide a home to the creatures that naturally live there. In our increasingly eco-aware times, we have to take this seriously.

Softeners Use Extra Water

As an ironic result of the purifying process, water softeners use extra water to clean the resin beads that do the work, and the resin tanks have to be cleaned too, using yet more water. In areas where there are water shortages anyway, this is clearly an unwanted and avoidable issue.

But avoidable how? As regards the nature of the water, softeners using the same method but with potassium rather than sodium can help, although they are less effective.

One emerging technology is known as the polyphosphate doser, which works a part of a chain that starts with filtration to remove impurities, then the sodium softener, before the polyphosphate doser deals with the corrosive nature of the water. This is one more complication in what started as a simple idea: good, clean water.

It's Obvious: Use Less Water

Just because we in the US generally have an abundance of good quality water, much of it piped to our property by a government department that has done some treatment work on it already, that doesn't mean we should take it for granted. If everyone thought twice about their water usage and kept it to a minimum, we could all contribute to an improved situation.

Consult a Water Purification Company

If water softening is on your mind, it is important to talk to somebody who knows all about it and can suggest options for you. Pick an experienced water treatment company that seems to offer a comprehensive service and talk it through with them. Whether you need a residential water softener or commercial water softening solution, professional guidance can help you choose the most environmentally responsible and effective system for your needs.