Water Softener Water: Is It Safe to Drink? Pros, Cons, and Myths

-

If you’ve ever wondered whether softened water is safe to drink, you’re not alone—well over 165,000 people search for this topic every month. In this guide, we’ll cut through the confusion with a clear explanation of what “water softener water” actually is, when it’s safe to drink, where it may not be ideal, and the best alternatives if you want the benefits of soft water without added sodium.

💧 Is Water Softener Water Safe to Drink?
Over 165,000 people search this every month. Here’s the expert answer.
Read the Guide

What Is Water Softener Water?

Most home softeners use ion exchange resin to replace hardness minerals—primarily calcium and magnesium—with a small amount of sodium (or potassium, if you use potassium chloride). This prevents limescale on fixtures, inside pipes, and in water-using appliances. Softened water often feels “silkier” on skin and helps soaps and detergents work more efficiently.

Is Softened Water Safe to Drink?

Yes, in most households, softened water is considered safe to drink. The ion-exchange process adds a small amount of sodium—commonly on the order of tens of milligrams per liter (often ~20–40 mg/L depending on feedwater hardness and system settings). For context, that’s typically less sodium than found in many common beverages.

Exceptions & considerations:

  • Sodium-restricted diets: Individuals advised to limit sodium (e.g., some hypertension or heart conditions) may prefer an alternative to drinking softened tap water with sodium in it.
  • Infants or specific medical guidance: Always follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
  • Pets & plants: Softened water is generally fine for most pets; potted plants prefer non-softened water to avoid sodium build-up in soil. It's best to use untreated water when watering houseplants.

Pros of Drinking Softened Water

  • Better taste for some palates: Removes metallic/“rusty” notes tied to hardness and iron interference.
  • Less scale in beverage makers: Coffee machines, kettles, and humidifiers stay cleaner longer.
  • Whole-home benefits: Softer showers, gentler on skin and hair, improved soap performance.

Cons / Practical Considerations

  • Slight sodium increase: Softening replaces calcium/magnesium with sodium. While small, some households prefer to minimize it at the kitchen tap.
  • “Slick” feel: Reduced mineral content changes mouthfeel; some people prefer the crispness of harder water.
  • Not a purifier: A softener doesn’t remove contaminants like PFAS, arsenic, lead, bacteria, or VOCs. If those are concerns, pair with dedicated treatment.

Best Alternatives & Complementary Options

  • Use potassium chloride (KCl) instead of sodium chloride: Avoids added sodium; note it can be costlier and requires proper system settings.
  • Add Reverse Osmosis (RO) at the kitchen sink: RO removes sodium and a wide range of dissolved contaminants—great for drinking and cooking.
  • Blend or bypass: Some homes keep the cold kitchen line unsoftened while softening the hot and the rest of the house.

Quick FAQs

“Is softened water bad for you?” For most people, no. It’s primarily a taste and dietary preference. If you’re on a sodium-restricted diet, consider using Potassium Chloride for your water softener or a Reverse Osmosis system for great-tasting, high-quality, sodium-free drinking water and for cooking. 

“Is softened water safe for pets?” Generally, yes for most pets. When in doubt, ask your veterinarian.

“Why doesn’t my softener remove chlorine, PFAS, or bacteria?” Because softeners are designed to address hardness. Use carbon filtration, RO, UV, or other targeted solutions for specific contaminants.

Hard Water vs. Soft Water: Which One Is Healthier?

Point-of-Use Reverse Osmosis Systems

Pro Tips Series #2: How to Maintain Your Water Softener for Optimal Efficiency and Quality of Water

Bacteria in Your Well Water: What You Should Know and How to Keep Your Water Clean and Safe


Bottom line: Softened water is safe to drink for most households and offers clear, whole-home benefits. If you want to minimize sodium at your drinking tap—or address additional water quality concerns—pair your softener with RO or consider potassium chloride as the water softener regenerant. Bacteria testing is an essential MUST for all well water systems to ensure the water is safe to drink. 

Want a better look at practical water fixes? Explore our series:

I wish you Good days and Good water!



© The Water Softener Blog - All rights reserved
For more guides on water treatment. Subscribe to the TWSB blog for expert advice on water softening, water filtration, drinking water systems, water treatment system reviews, water softener salt, DIY, water issues in the news, water and our health, how to treat your water, and comprehensive water testing. www.thewatersoftenerblog.com


https://tinyurl.com/TWSBlegal-privacy-page

Location: United States

Comments

Post a Comment

The Water Softener Blog encourages your constructive comments on our blog and content. If there is a water treatment problem you would like to see discussed here please send us a suggestion and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Thank you, Ray

Popular posts from this blog

How Water Softeners Work

-
Image
Water softening systems are basically an appliance that treats incoming water to the home to remove hardness minerals (Calcium, Magnesium) present in water and provide conditioned, softened water for the home to protect plumbing fixtures and water-using appliances, to prevent hard water scale buildup, and iron staining. Making the home run more efficient. Water softeners/conditioners are not the solution to every water treatment problem. There are a myriad of water chemistry problems, such as high iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and low PH, along with many other water problems that require different types of water treatment equipment to properly treat the water.  The first step in determining the proper water treatment solution is a comprehensive water analysis to determine water hardness, iron, and other water chemistry issues that may require more treatment options than just a water softener. Water softeners have six main components: 1. Control Valve 2. Dist...
Read more

"Whole House Water Filters" part 1 - When, What, Why and How to use a whole house water filtration system.

-
Image
Water filters cover the gambit from simple faucet filters, refrigerator filters, in-line filters to filter housings with a replaceable filter cartridge to all types of whole house backwashing / regenerating filtration systems that remove, iron, odors, manganese, radium, lead, turbidity and a plethora of other water problems.  This subject covers such a wide range of water problems it could take many blog articles to cover just the basics of water filtration.   One thing I know for certain though is what the typical consumer considers a water filter and what a water treatment professional would consider a water filter are totally different.
Read more

"Whole House Water Filters" part 2 - When, What, Why and How to use a whole house filtration system.

-
Image
In our Second Article of  -  "Whole House Water Filters"   We will be looking at whole-house filtration systems for iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide removal along with iron bacteria. When to use a whole house filtration system, what to use, why use a particular type of filter system, and how to apply the right system for your water and family. Frequently, water treatment professionals refer to water that is extremely high in iron, manganese, and H2S as "problem water" because it can be a challenge at times to find the proper solution to treat particular water problems and, quite frankly, it can take some experimenting with different methods to finally find the right water treatment method that works effectively and consistently. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ✅ In our First Article -  "Water Filters Part 1"        We discussed using cartridge-style pre-filters. As discussed, they...
Read more