Can you drink softened water?

If you've got a water softener installed, or you're thinking about getting one, there's a very common question that crops up: can you drink softened water?

It's a really good question, and the answer isn't a simple yes or no.

In this article we'll explain what softened water actually is, whether it's safe to drink, who should avoid drinking it, and what your options are if you want great tasting drinking water alongside all the benefits that a water softener brings to your home.

What is softened water?

Softened water is water that has had the hardness minerals - calcium and magnesium - removed from it.

A traditional water softener does this through a process called ion exchange. Hard water passes through a resin inside the water softener. This resin is covered in sodium ions. As the hard water flows over the resin, the calcium and magnesium ions swap places with the sodium ions.

The result is water that is softer, because the hardness minerals have been removed, but that now contains a little more sodium than it did before.

How much sodium is added depends on how hard your water was to begin with. The harder the original water, the more calcium and magnesium there is to remove, and therefore the more sodium is added during the softening process.

Is softened water safe to drink?

For most healthy adults, softened water is safe to drink.

The amount of sodium added during the softening process is relatively small, especially when compared to the amount of sodium (salt) that most people consume in their daily diet.

However, there are some people who should not drink softened water, and we'll cover who they are in the next section.

It's also worth remembering that the sodium content will be higher in very hard water areas, so if you live somewhere with very hard water, your softened water will contain more sodium than someone living in a moderately hard water area.

Who should avoid drinking softened water?

Softened water is not recommended for everyone.

The following people should avoid drinking softened water and should use a separate supply of unsoftened water, or filtered water, for drinking and cooking:

• Infants and babies - softened water is not suitable for making up baby formula.
• Anyone on a low-sodium diet, as advised by their doctor.
• People with high blood pressure, heart conditions, or kidney problems.

If you're at all unsure, we'd always recommend speaking to your doctor before drinking softened water.

This is exactly why most water softener installations include a separate hard water tap, or retain the kitchen cold tap as an unsoftened supply, so there's always a source of drinking water that hasn't been through the softener.

What does softened water taste like?

This is where personal preference comes into play.

Some people love the taste of softened water, others aren't so keen.

Because the minerals have been removed, softened water can taste slightly different to the hard water you may be used to. Some describe it as feeling 'silkier' or 'smoother'.

The very small amount of sodium isn't usually detectable by taste, but some people are more sensitive to it than others.

Is softened water the same as filtered water?

No, and this is a really important distinction that a lot of people get confused about.

A water softener deals with one thing - limescale, caused by hard water minerals.

A water softener does not:

• Remove chlorine.
• Remove PFAS (forever chemicals).
• Remove microplastics.
• Remove pesticides or other chemicals.
• Improve the taste and smell of your water in the way a carbon filter does.

So, if your goal is great tasting drinking water that's free from chlorine and other contaminants, a water softener on its own won't achieve that. You'd need a drinking water filter for that job.

How to get the best of both worlds

The good news is that you don't have to choose between soft water and great drinking water. You can have both.

Here are the most popular ways our customers get the benefits of a water softener alongside excellent drinking water:

• Keep a separate hard water tap - most water softeners are installed so that the kitchen cold tap remains unsoftened, giving you hard water for drinking and cooking while the rest of the house enjoys soft water.
• Add a drinking water filter - install a separate drinking water filter on your kitchen tap to remove chlorine, improve taste, and reduce contaminants.
• Install a reverse osmosis system - a reverse osmosis system will remove the sodium added during the softening process, along with a huge range of other contaminants, giving you exceptionally pure drinking water.

Of these, a reverse osmosis system is the option that specifically tackles the added sodium, so it's a great choice if you're softening very hard water and want to bring the sodium level back down for drinking.

How Fountain Filters can help you

Deciding whether to drink softened water, and working out the best set up for your home, can feel a bit daunting.

That's where we come in.

We've been helping people navigate hard water, soft water, and everything in between since 2011. Whether you want a water softener, a drinking water filter, a reverse osmosis system, or a combination of all three, we'll help you find the right solution for your home and your circumstances.

Just give us a call on 01352 838 281 or drop a message onto our helpdesk and we'll be happy to help.

FAQs

Can you drink softened water?

For most healthy adults, yes, softened water is safe to drink. The sodium added during softening is relatively small compared to a normal daily diet. However, it's not recommended for infants, people on low-sodium diets, or those with high blood pressure, heart, or kidney conditions.

Why is there sodium in softened water?

Softened water is produced by ion exchange, where the calcium and magnesium that cause hardness are swapped for sodium ions from the softener's resin. The amount of sodium added is proportional to how hard your water was to start with - for roughly every 100 ppm of hardness removed, about 45 mg/l of sodium is added. So the harder your original water, the more sodium ends up in it, which is why softened water isn't recommended for infants or anyone on a low-sodium diet.

Is softened water the same as filtered water?

No. A water softener only removes the calcium and magnesium that cause limescale. It does not remove chlorine, PFAS, microplastics, or other chemicals, and it won't improve taste the way a carbon filter does. For that you need a separate drinking water filter.

How can I remove the sodium from softened water?

A reverse osmosis system will remove the sodium added during the softening process, along with a wide range of other contaminants, giving you very pure drinking water. Alternatively, many people keep the kitchen cold tap as an unsoftened hard water supply for drinking and cooking.