Hard water is a common issue in many households throughout the U.S. Because of this, many homeowners have turned to using water softeners as a way to restore the integrity of their home’s water.
Unfortunately, concerns have risen around the emission of salt into the environment from traditional salt-based water softeners. This has led to the need for more eco-friendly water softeners.
How Do Water Softeners Work?
Traditional water softeners have sodium coated beads of resin inside them. Hard water flows through the system and the sodium gets exchanged with calcium and magnesium, the minerals that make the water ‘hard’ to begin with.
Eventually, the built up calcium and magnesium ions need to be flushed out of the system. This happens through a process known as regeneration. A brine mixture, highly concentrated in salt, rinses the resin beads and then flows out to the septic or sewer system.
How Does Water Softener Salt Affect the Environment?
The highly concentrated saline brine often goes beyond the septic or water treatment system, making its way into the surrounding soils and groundwater. This salt pollution can affect the environment and cause:
- Impermeable soil: Excess salt in soil can build up over time and change the way that the soil can filter water. This often leads to leach fields that won’t drain properly.
- Stunted crop growth: When soil or groundwater contains too much salt, it can actually hinder crop growth. When crops cannot grow properly, the agricultural industry is affected and in turn, food sources.
- Impaired water quality: Water that contains a high salt content can take a toll on people’s health in a negative way. This includes humans, pets, and aquatic life.
Are Eco-Friendly Water Softeners Available?
One of the best ways to get soft water in an environmentally friendly manner is through soft water delivery service. At Palm Springs Water Systems, we provide Portable Exchange Tank service, leaving you with the same benefits of a water softener but without the negative environmental effects of salt.
With soft water delivery, the regeneration process takes place in a centralized regeneration facility by trained technicians. The tanks do not require electricity or a drain in your home because a professional Palm Springs Water Systems technician will just exchange the tanks as needed.
Contact us today to have a skilled technician come install an environmentally friendly water softener tank in your home. Then, you can finally say goodbye to all those pesky hard water stains!