To understand how a water softener works, you must first know the difference between hard and soft water. Hard water is water that has a high concentration of non-treated mineral content, such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals find their way into the water system because groundwater dissolves different rocks and metals leaving the remnants to travel along with it. Although most American homes have hard water running through their home, many do not realize the potential negative effects this water has on them and their property.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is soft water. To turn hard water into soft, a water softener system must be installed within your home, which stops scale from forming. This helps provide your home with water that has less potential for causing damage, whether that be to your appliances, piping, septic system, or anything impacted by water!

How A Septic System Works

Understanding how a septic system works is an excellent way to better know a water softener's potential effects on the system. A standard septic system consists of a septic tank, a distribution box, a drainfield, and all of its connected pipes. As you use the bathroom on a daily basis, wastewater travels through the pipes from your home to the septic tank where all solids sink to the bottom, while the lighter material stays at the top. During the process, all layers of waste are partially decomposed with the help of naturally occurring bacteria, where the septic then discharges water into a drainfield as more wastewater is released.

The Main Issue With Salt-based Water Softeners and Septic Tanks

The main issue with traditional salt-based water softeners and septic tanks is the extra sodium that is added to the water, which experts believe causes problems in anaerobic digestion in the septic tanks as well as the hydraulic conductivity in the drain field. Hydraulic overloading is also a possibility due to backwash because septic systems are usually not designed with the intent of accommodating the extra water that comes from the regeneration of hard water. The extra salt in backwash might also lead to the deterioration of concrete septic tanks.

Regenerated backwash and salt-based softened water increase the sodium chloride levels in the septic tanks. Increased salinity in the septic tank may kill the helpful bacteria in the tank. This can be attributed to the fact that the increased salinity as a result of the backwash induces some form of metabolic shock in the septic tank bacteria. Since the bacteria's function in the system is to digest organic waste, killing or reducing the number of bacteria leads to non-effective wastewater treatment.

If you are a homeowner who has been hesitant to install a water softening system within their home due to having a septic system, we at NuvoH2O want to let you know that there is nothing to worry about. As a company, we want to provide the benefits of soft water to as many individuals as possible, which is why we sell septic safe water softeners which will bring no harm to you or the home. We have multiple options to choose from, depending on the size of your home, such as the Home Water Softener, suitable for homes under 1,500 sqft, or if you need something larger, our Manor Water Softener would be a perfect choice!

At NuvoH2O, we take a different approach to water softening as we use citrus, not salt, to create the effects. Using a salt-based system has various drawbacks which include that they are bulky, inconvenient, and wasteful systems that require lugging heavy salt bags to be used effectively. What makes our system different is the molecules in CitraCharge®, which bind to the hard minerals preventing them from adhering to pipes, fixtures, surfaces, and other appliances. Take advantage of a system that is simple to use, convenient to maintain, effective in stopping mineral build-up, and completely eco-friendly.