This is a highly debated topic that has conflicting opinions from professionals all over the web, and it’s an important topic to address. This article post will explore the potential impact of water softeners on your septic system. We’ll also offer septic-safe practices for using a water softener in a home with a septic system.
How Water Softeners Work
Most water softener systems consist of a softener tank that treats water as it comes into the house and a brine tank. Water softeners use ion exchange to remove minerals from hard water. As water passes through the softener tank, the positively charged minerals in the water (calcium, magnesium, iron, and sodium) attach to the negatively charged resin in the tank. The minerals in your hard water stay behind, while softened water is distributed throughout your home. Every few days, the water softener regenerates the resin by drawing salt water (brine) into the tank to do the same ion exchange, but in reverse, to negatively charge the resin inside the tank. The negatively charged brine releases the positively charged minerals from the resin, releasing them and flushing them out of the system into the septic tank.
The Potential Negative Impact of Water Softeners
During the regeneration process, the average water softener uses between 50 to 150 gallons of brine solution to clean the resin in the softener tank, which could cause problems for septic systems.
System Overload
Pumping that much water into a septic tank is the equivalent of taking nearly 10 showers, continuously. Today’s water softeners regenerate 1-2 times a week, depending on household water usage. The influx of water that the regeneration process flushes into the septic tank can overwhelm the system, especially if the water softener regenerates on a day when the dishwasher, washer, and other water-heavy household chores are done. Overwhelming the system can force solids to back up into the home or flow out to the drain field, where they pipes can become clogged and cause the drain field to fail.
Salt and Your Septic Tank
Salt water is significantly heavier than the fresh water you typically flush into the septic tank. Because of this, the salt water from the softener rapidly sinks to the bottom of your septic tank, sometimes lifting the sludge and allowing it to become suspended in the effluent within your tank. In fact, septic tanks that receive softener brine often have no distinct layers of sludge, scum, and effluent. Septic tanks are purposefully designed to allow solids to sink to the bottom so that clear effluent can flow out to the drain field. The high concentration of salt brine from the water softener interferes with this process, which can allow solids to cause failure by clogging the pipes.
Salt is a naturally corrosive element. Just as it contributes to erosion and spalling concrete roadways, driveways, and sidewalks, the salt in the regeneration brine can corrode your concrete septic tank, shortening the life of the tank.
Septic-Safe Water Softeners
Most homes with septic systems also rely on private water wells to supply water the household, and removing minerals from water supplies is a necessity. It’s recommended that your water softener be installed to discharge outside of your home’s plumbing that leads to the septic tank, such as a storm drain or a downspout. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of softened water while avoiding the negative impact the water softener can have on your septic system.
CURRY’S CAN KEEP YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM RUNNING SMOOTHLY!
Curry’s has the experts, equipment, and know how to care for your system properly. From emergency repairs, to routine septic maintenance and installation, we’ll be here for you. Contact us to schedule your septic service today!
