Does softened water taste ok?

[tan8856]

Hi

Im getting a water softner fitted and the company as standard plumbs-in one new tap that continues to supply mains hard water. I was going to get this tap put in the utility room as id assumed i would drink the soft water but a friend of mine has said that softened water doesnt taste that great and that i might want to get the hard tap put in the kitchen so i can still drink it easily.

Any comments on this? I dont want to have a tap fitted in my kitchen only to find i neednt have bothered.

Thanks

 

[powell30]

Hard and soft are just degrees of mineralisation within the water. Techncally hard water is supposed to be healthier, it's all about personal preference surely.......take whiskey as an example, water plays a big part in the taste but the end product is for each individual to decide if they like it........so must you

 

[Happyplumber]

EH? softened water is not for drinking purposes! The kitchen sink has to be left on the orignal mains and totally seperate to the softened water line

I do hope you mean softened as in using salts ,as we all know its detrimental to our health

 

[Chukka63]

do not drink the soft water.

 

[tan8856]

EH? softened water is not for drinking purposes! The kitchen sink has to be left on the orignal mains and totally seperate to the softened water line

I do hope you mean softened as in using salts ,as we all know its detrimental to our health

But surely parts of the country have naturally soft water and they drink it from their taps?

I thought the reason they recommend not drinking it is because it has less minerals than hard water, but anyone who eats a healthy balanced diet (which we do) wont be deprived of any minerals even if they drink only soft water?

Harveys WS say http://www.harveysofteners.com/health-effects-drinking-softened-water/

Despite concerns about sodium and hardness levels in drinking [soft] water that have been raised spasmodically over the last forty years, the World Health Organisation advises that the decision whether or not to drink softened water should be limited only by whether or not you like the taste. WHO's current, official position, published in the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality 2006, is that no firm conclusions can be drawn on any possible health effects of sodium in drinking water.
The vast majority of softened water in the UK is safe to drink over the long term. Its suitability for drinking is measured by the levels of sodium in the water. To comply with the UK's Drinking Water Regulation requirement for safe drinking water, sodium levels should not exceed 200 mg/l.
This policy is far from universal, though. In most of the European Union Member States, the national regulations lists sodium only as an indicator parameter, which does not contribute to the definition of whether water is fit to drink. In the USA there is no limit on sodium in the National Primary or Secondary Drinking Water Regulations.

Softeners work by replacing the hardness minerals with sodium. So, the more hard minerals in the water supply, the higher the levels of sodium in the softened water. For most areas of the UK, the sodium levels of softened water will be well within this limit. However, in a few parts of the UK where the drinking water is particularly hard, sodium levels may exceed 220 mg/l.
A reputable water softener supplier will always check your water hardness before fitting a softener. If drinking water should contains over 200ppm of sodium, it does not automatically become 'dangerous' to the majority of the population but it should not be used in the mixing of baby feeds or consumed by those on a low-sodium diet prescribed by a medical practitioner.

I agree with pp that its simply to do with taste.

 

[Happyplumber]

mate if it aint any good for people on low sodium diets or babies then it aint good for me¬¬¬¬!!!

You can carry on with all the science ,thats the way it is done one does not drink fully softened water

Thats the reason why seperate kitchen tap is being fitted

but you carry on it is your your democratic right to do as you please as long as your not harming anyone else

Merry christmas and happy new year

 

[Chukka63]

i thought it was to do with all the salt in the soft water.

 

[roberta1000]

But surely parts of the country have naturally soft water and they drink it from their taps?

But naturally occurring soft water is just missing the (usually) carbonates which cause hardness. Not drinking carbonates doesn't do much harm (you can get plenty of calcium elsewhere). When you use a water softner you add lots of soluble sodium salts instead which aren't said to be good for you.

 

[Tipper]

I just think it tastes YUK!

 

[JohnD]

it tastes better than the very hard water down here

it doesn't contain salt

hower it does contain a tiny amount of additional sodium bicarbonate (as used for indigestion) so if you have e.g. a kidney problem and are on a low-sodium diet it is better to avoid it

of course there is a lot more sodum as salt in tomato ketchup, cornflakes, baked beans, sausages etc

 

[75pete]

You can`t beat a bit of Thames Water

 

[Agile]

I really do like drinking hard water!

It justs tastes fresher and more sparkly to me! A bit like the tonic water my mother used to mix with her gin!

Tony