Is Soft Water Safe to Drink?

Hard water can cause major problems to a home's plumbing, such as calcium deposits on the faucets and buildup in the pipes and drains. A water softener fixes these problems, but many people do not know the potential health risks of actually drinking soft water.

Process

The water-softening process removes calcium ions and magnesium ions by replacing them with potassium and sodium ions, which in effect removes the minerals from the water.

Effects

The water-softening process adds some sodium to the softened water, a concern for individuals watching their sodium intake because of cardiovascular health.

Expert Insight

Dr. Sheldon G. Sheps of Mayo Clinic states that most softened water contains less than 12.5mg of sodium per 8 oz. glass. The Food and Drug Administration considers this to be very low sodium content, but it still could pose problems for people on restricted sodium diets.

Warning

Besides the additional sodium, the water-softening process makes water an aggressive solvent, causing it to leach metal from your home's pipes. This means that soft water contains higher amounts of lead, copper and other trace metals than hard water, which has limited solvent abilities.

Solution

Because of these health risks, when adding a water softener to your home, consider using an alternative source for your drinking water or routing the plumbing so the tap water in the kitchen does not flow through the softener.

References

• Triangular Wave Technologies: Soft Water--It's Not For Drinking
• Mayo Clinic: Water softeners-How much sodium do they add?; Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.

Resources

• Lenntech: Water Softener Frequently Asked Questons
• Water Value: Water Softeners and Conditioners

Photo Credit

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kyle May