Residential Water Treatment

[lawman]

We are on a deep well and the water quality seems great to me. I do not treat the water and have had no problems for 2 1/2 years. Have two tankless water heaters and recently descaled them.. I saw no indication whatsoever of any buildup. The vinegar was good as new after descaling. Having said that all my neighbors have water softeners..I want to protect my appliances but don't want to add something I don't need..I plan to have my water tested by the folks that drilled my well but I expect to be told I need to install one of their softeners. Suggestions on how I might proceed, what to get and what to avoid. I specifically want to know how a water softener will effect my aerobic septic system. Thanks

 

[ncbill]

Well, a water softener will be adding salt so you probably want to talk to the folks who installed & maintain your septic system FIRST.

Is that the type with multiple tanks in the basement like I've seen on This Old House?

 

[pb4uski]

From what you wrote I would NOT add a water softener. Also, my septic guy advised against a water softener as I recall.

 

[REWahoo]

We're on a deep well (800 ft) in the hill country and have an aerobic septic system. Our water is very hard and we've had a softener since building the house 25 years ago. The salt from the softener has had no negative impact to our septic system.

 

[Samsung4321]

We are on a deep well and the water quality seems great to me. I do not treat the water and have had no problems for 2 1/2 years. Have two tankless water heaters and recently descaled them.. I saw no indication whatsoever of any buildup. The vinegar was good as new after descaling. Having said that all my neighbors have water softeners..I want to protect my appliances but don't want to add something I don't need..I plan to have my water tested by the folks that drilled my well but I expect to be told I need to install one of their softeners. Suggestions on how I might proceed, what to get and what to avoid. I specifically want to know how a water softener will effect my aerobic septic system. Thanks

Ion exchange water softeners have been in use for decades without too many insurmountable problems - such as salt pollution in arid areas.


Reverse osmosis is a little newer but the most cost efficient method for household+ volumes. Does not add to salt load.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

 

[rk911]

We are on a deep well and the water quality seems great to me. I do not treat the water and have had no problems for 2 1/2 years. Have two tankless water heaters and recently descaled them.. I saw no indication whatsoever of any buildup. The vinegar was good as new after descaling. Having said that all my neighbors have water softeners..I want to protect my appliances but don't want to add something I don't need..I plan to have my water tested by the folks that drilled my well but I expect to be told I need to install one of their softeners. Suggestions on how I might proceed, what to get and what to avoid. I specifically want to know how a water softener will effect my aerobic septic system. Thanks

give your county admin a call and see if they do water quality testing on private wells.

 

[Music Lover]

Ion exchange water softeners have been in use for decades without too many insurmountable problems - such as salt pollution in arid areas.


Reverse osmosis is a little newer but the most cost efficient method for household+ volumes. Does not add to salt load.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

We have a well and water softener. We also have reverse osmosis for drinking and cooking water but I don't think it's feasible to have an RO system large enough to handle showers, laundry, toilets, etc.

It's also worth considering that RO systems waste a lot of water (the newer ones are more efficient) so if you have don't have a septic field you may be adding a lot of waste water to the tank which you have to pay to have pumped out:

"The average reverse osmosis waste water ratio is 4:1. This means for every gallon of clean water, an RO system can use or waste 3-25 gallons of water."

So, you don't want the entire house on RO, flushing a toilet could add several gallons to your septic tank.

https://waterdefense.org/water-filter/reverse-osmosis/waste-water/

 

[GalaxyBoy]

You can get your water tested by an independent testing company such as Ward Labs but you’ll have to do some research on water to understand the results. They offer a test for homeowners, but I used their test specifically for brewers.

Salt isn’t added to what you would use but it would be sent to the septic system as wastewater. No idea if that matters. I’m on a community well system but on a sewer system.

 

[REWahoo]

How does my water softener affect my septic system?

A 2013 study by the water Quality Research Council and the Water Quality Association found that the wastewater coming from a home water softening system caused no operational problems in either the traditional anaerobic or aerobic septic tanks. It also found that as long as the brine and dissolved calcium and magnesium coming from the water softening system were coming from a newer, more salt-efficient water softening system, the discharge would actually make the septic system and discharge fields do their job more effectively.

 

[GJW1]

What about a water conditioner vice a water softener? Plus’s vice minuses?
I’m curious…

 

[Samsung4321]

We have a well and water softener. We also have reverse osmosis for drinking and cooking water but I don't think it's feasible to have an RO system large enough to handle showers, laundry, toilets, etc.

It's also worth considering that RO systems waste a lot of water (the newer ones are more efficient) so if you have don't have a septic field you may be adding a lot of waste water to the tank which you have to pay to have pumped out:

"The average reverse osmosis waste water ratio is 4:1. This means for every gallon of clean water, an RO system can use or waste 3-25 gallons of water."

So, you don't want the entire house on RO, flushing a toilet could add several gallons to your septic tank.

https://waterdefense.org/water-filter/reverse-osmosis/waste-water/

"lot of waste water to the tank which you have to pay to have pumped out":
In Aus, all who have a septic system will have a leach field, else they are connected to a sewer; pumping out tank would be sludge removal. I can imagine in parts of USA, where rural population density is larger, leach fields might not be permitted.

The bypass water does not have to pass through septic system, the concentration of salt in it might be small enough to water garden or go directly to leach field without resulting in significant salt pollution if rainfall is sufficient to prevent harmful accumulation. Bypass water can be injected in a separate bore / well / recharge sump. Rainwater harvesting can help reduce bore / well water consumption.

Small water temperature and pressure requires larger bypass ratio.

Vendors articles:
https://psifilters.com.au/pages/reverse-osmosis-waste
https://americanhomewater.com/the-truth-about-reverse-osmosis-waste-water/

 

[Car-Guy]

I specifically want to know how a water softener will effect my aerobic septic system. Thanks

From what you wrote I would NOT add a water softener. Also, my septic guy advised against a water softener as I recall.

We're on a deep well (800 ft) in the hill country and have an aerobic septic system. Our water is very hard and we've had a softener since building the house 25 years ago. The salt from the softener has had no negative impact to our septic system.

I had no idea so many of you guys here were on their own private aerobic septic systems. (I guess there's a good joke there ) Since I'm on my own aerobic system too I'll stop there.