# Water Softeners: Benefits and Environmental Impact - Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/04/water-softeners-benefits-and-environmental-impact/ - Published: 2020-04-14T20:17:26-04:00 - Author: greenlivingguy ## Why Water Softeners are Harmful to the Environment No one likes hard water in their home. It is rough on your appliances, on your skin, your hair, and your cleaning routine. Water softeners are one way to get rid of hard water, but they cause harm to the environment. Take a look at how they work and how they hurt this precious planet. #### **What are Water Softeners?** Water softeners are systems that remove the hard minerals in water—such as [calcium](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/03/3-signs-that-you-may-have-hard-water/) and magnesium—and replace them with soft minerals, like potassium or salt. [One article explains](https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2009/02/07/ron-duncan-go-green-water-softeners-tough-on-the-environment/),“ On a technical level, this process is called ion exchange…” A normal softening system includes a tank, inside of which are resin beds. As water flows past the beads, the hard minerals exchange places with the sodium in the beads. After the resin loses its sodium, a recharging process takes place so the system can go on effectively softening water. [⌊Water softener treatment plant featuring three cylindrical tanks and a control panel, set against a background with water droplets.⌉⌊Water softener treatment plant featuring three cylindrical tanks and a control panel, set against a background with water droplets.⌉[ Water treatment plant system by TACT, designed for water softening and purification. That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? After all, it is just salt and it allows people to enjoy soft water in their homes. However, softeners add a lot of [salt to the environment](https://greenlivingguy.com/2016/07/desalination-helping-or-hurting-our-environment/), which has negative effects. After you learn about those effects, you may want to consider using alternatives to water softeners in your home. #### Bad for Your Home Do you have a lush backyard garden that ought to grace the cover of a magazine? Even if your horticultural endeavors are not that spectacular, you might still enjoy cultivating a garden. Usually, water softening systems soften all the water used at a home. This includes the water that comes through the garden house. As you regularly water your plants, the salt will build up. It will eventually kill your plants. This is especially true if you live in an area that does not get enough rain to dilute the salty soil. If you have a water softening system and are not ready to give it up, consider connecting it only to your hot water line. You will still get soft water for showers and washing the dishes, but you spare your garden. #### They’re Bad for Your Area Another one of the hidden risks of [water softeners](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/04/organic-gardening-quickly-with-garden-grid/) goes beyond your personal environment. As you go about your daily routine—showering, washing your hands, doing the dishes, etc.—a lot of water goes down the drains to your city’s water source. The salt in your softened water may go to irrigate local parks or crops, thus endangering the plants. Softened water has even more far-reaching effects. Particularly in areas where water softeners are very common, cities must treat wastewater to reduce the amount of salt in it. What happens to all that salt? As [valleycresttakeson.com](https://www.brightview.com/) says, “In places like California sometimes it’s discharged into the ocean which is expensive and can have long-term effects on the aquatic environment.” The salt can also end up in lakes or rivers, where it can cause damage. Next time you add salt to your [water softener](https://greenlivingguy.com/2016/04/how-a-home-water-softener-helps-the-environment/), add less. Oftentimes the manufacturer’s directions say that you should use more than you actually need. #### They Promote Wastefulness Softened water is not the best for drinking, so people with softening systems may use a reverse osmosis unit. While it does produce drinkable water, it also wastes a considerable amount. One [FAQ page](http://www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/reverse-osmosis-faq) on reverse osmosis says that the wasted water amounts to about “a couple or three extra toilet flushes a day.” That may not seem like a lot. However, when you think about that multiplied across [millions of homes](https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/03/major-new-yorkshire-wind-farm-could-power-2-million-homes/) every day, you’ll find it adds up to be quite a bit of water. The wastefulness does not stop there, however. Remember the regeneration process mentioned in the first section of this article? That takes water because the hard minerals must go somewhere. They go into water, which in turn gets flushed out of the tank. This process can use up much water over time. Especially if the regeneration cycle is on a timer and takes place more often than necessary. ![A garden with wilted plants in the foreground and water treatment equipment in the background highlighting the environmental impact of water softeners](https:// i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_6243-1.webp?resize=400% 2C300&quality=50&ssl=1 "IMG_6243 - The Green Living Guy") A garden showing signs of distress with wilted plants in the foreground and water softener equipment in the background highlighting the negative impact of water softeners on landscaping In conclusion, the harmful effects of water softeners are not obvious at first. However, they inarguably have a [negative impact on the environment](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/07/how-indoor-environmental-quality-impacts-health-and-productivity-at-work/). Some salt-free alternatives to water softeners are available and effective, so give them a look if you use a water softener and want to go green. Also, check out a [Guide about How ](https://www.best-osmosis-systems.com/how-water-softeners-work/) Water Softeners Work. For it breaks down the various stages of softening + regeneration using helpful illustrations for easier understanding. Image Source: This is water softener treatment plant product, produce by tact appliances, 7 June 2013, 02:09:14 ![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df91669667126e1290c21ee0342c386e2da19d588d4d9ca6560bd82ed59a9641? s=300&d=monsterid&r=g) greenlivingguy The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author, Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke # Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow. [See Full Bio](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/) [ ](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/)