Water Softeners and Septic Systems: Can They Coexist?
In your home right now, systems are working behind the scenes to ensure that you and your family are safe, comfortable, and warm. You depend on these systems but hardly notice them unless something goes wrong.
What you may not often think about is how these systems work together. And most of the time, they don’t need to. Your electrical and plumbing, for example, don’t need to work together (nor should they). But if you have a septic system, you need to understand how your water can affect it.
Years ago, people speculated that the sodium content in softened water would destroy the balance needed to run an adequate septic system. So, scientists got to work trying to understand the role of both systems in order to determine if they can coexist.
The good news? If you are one of the countless households that rely on water softening and are on a septic system, you can continue to use both. Let’s break down why.
Septic Systems Explained
All the water that goes into your home has to come back out. When it does it is usually referred to as wastewater. Every flushed toilet and shower drain has to go somewhere. If you are in the city, your house likely connects to your municipality sewer system, which will whisk it all away. But, if you live outside of city limits, you often need an alternative option, which is where septic systems come in.
A septic system is a self-contained system that is buried underground and designed to handle a home’s wastewater. Since it does not connect to a sewer, it needs occasional pumping to avoid overfilling. It also relies on an environment that harbors bacteria that will break down the waste properly. While certainly not a perfect solution, septics offer people the opportunity to live outside of city limits while still maintaining a safe and healthy option for disposing of wastewater.
Water Softeners Explained
Water softeners are necessary for homes in areas where the groundwater contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. These minerals find their way into the water supply, making the water hard. Hard water leaves behind traces of these minerals, called limescale, on any surface the water touches. People who live with hard water may notice a white film on their dishes, deal with faded clothes in the laundry, and battle hard-to-clean limescale build-up on surfaces like showers, sinks, and faucets. In addition, hard water tastes bad.
Not only is hard water frustrating, but it can also cause long-term damage to the inner workings of your home. Pipes and appliances suffer from limescale build-up, leading to costly repairs. Installing a water softener system for the home can eliminate hard water minerals and their effects. These systems use an ion exchange process to swap out hard water minerals for sodium. Once water travels through a softener, a home’s water will be free of hard water minerals, but it will contain sodium.
Where Septic And Water Softeners Intersect
You can start to see why people began to pose the question about the effectiveness of using these two systems in tandem. What about all of that sodium in the wastewater, and what does that do to the environment in your septic system that is trying to break things down?
This is actually where things get interesting. Because what researchers found is that not only is it perfectly fine to have a water softener and septic system in the same home, but there are actually some benefits to it.
Healthy Pipes
Your septic system relies on a series of pipes inside and out of your home to operate correctly. Homes equipped with water softeners generally have healthier pipes, with less limescale buildup creating clogs and obstructions. You may actually see fewer issues with your septic system if you use a water softener.
Better Bacteria
Initially, people were concerned about what the sodium in soft water would do to the bacteria in a septic system. However, researchers found that the increased sodium content in softened water can be beneficial to the bacteria that are breaking down the waste within a septic system.
Reduce Soap
One thing that isn’t great for septic systems is an abundance of chemicals and soaps, which can disrupt that bacteria your system relies on. Homes with hard water tend to use more of these products than homes with soft water, and as a result, they end up in the septic tank. With a water softener, you can use less detergent and contribute less to your septic system.
So, if you are concerned about the relationship between your water softener and septic system, fear not because they can peacefully coexist. Of course, if you have specific questions or concerns about these systems in your home, your local water softener company is a great resource that will ensure everything works in harmony.
