One hot topic in the water treatment industry is the impact of water softeners on septic systems. Experts have conducted a lot of research about the topic over the years, leading to a lot of conflicting information. The main question people have is, “Do water softeners affect septic systems?” Let’s explore this nuanced conversation.

What Is a Septic System?

Before we start to answer our main question, it’s helpful to define terms so that everyone is on the same page. You probably already know what your septic system is. But, do you know how it works and how it works with water treatments?

Your septic system holds waste that gets sent to it through some pipes. The waste then separates into layers; heavy material sinks to the bottom and lighter material floats on top. Then, your system helps break down the waste with the help of naturally occurring bacteria. After that, your septic tank removes the wastewater as more comes through the connected pipes.

What Is a Water Softener?

If you have a well and struggle with hard water, then you’re probably familiar with the term water softener. Water softeners remove hard minerals from your water source that cause a variety of issues, including hard water stains, health problems, and plumbing damage.

Water softeners consist of two tanks: the softener tank and the brine tank. Through ion exchange, water passes through the softener tank while positively charged hard minerals stick to a material called resin with a negative charge. The brine tank uses salt to replenish this material every couple of days. The hard minerals stay behind in the tank while softened water flows through different parts of your home.

How Water Softeners Affect Your Septic System

Now that you know the basic terminology, we can discuss if water softeners affect septic systems. Some argue that this type of water treatment messes with the biological processes that break down waste in your septic tank. Others say that the excess product made through resin regeneration is wasteful and disturbs the septic process.

However, experts have recently found that good water softeners don’t cause as much damage as recently thought. In fact, the extra sodium can help the bacteria work better while also eliminating the need for harsh chemicals to keep everything clean. The key is using a high-quality water softener that produces the correct amount of sodium so it doesn’t derail what is naturally occurring in your septic tank.

Now that you know how this type of water treatment can affect your household systems, you can make the best decision for your home. Contact us today so we pair you with well water softener systems that will work best for you.