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ARTICLE:
WATER
SOFTENERS 101 - WATER QUALITY CONSIDERATIONS
Did you Know….
Water Facts
Our goal is to describe the issues you confront and decisions
you must make as a home owner about whole house water filters
for your home in a succinct, concise, easy to read format
without drilling down into details. However, if you want the
details you will see links to sources of information outside
our site that will provide you with the detail of each topic
we discuss.
California’s Water Problem
As many issues about our state’s water supply converge,
home owners have, and will become more affected by legislation
and bans on the use of water and water softening systems.
The problems we face as homeowners in searching for answers
for our water needs, stem from a depleting clean water supply
and a growing population of water consumers.
The limited water supply must take care of our industrial,
agricultural and residential needs today and for decades to
come. Therefore the waste and contamination of the water we
do have, is front and center as a concern for our state and
local governments and environmental organizations.
Hard Water
The water we import as well as the water supply we have locally
is considered to be very ‘hard’. Water that is labeled
hard water has a high amount of calcium and magnesium. Both
calcium and magnesium are good for your health and are contributing
factors to the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis and
inflammation of the joints among other health issues. But
hard water also causes lime scale build up in household pipes
and stains on fixtures and glass shower doors.
Click here for more detail on the heath benefits of calcium
and magnesium http://www.vitalnutrients.net/hq_handouts2.asp?VitaminName=Calcium/Magnesium
Water Softeners
One way Californians and other American homeowners have dealt
with hard water coming into their homes is by installing water
softeners. Water softening systems treat hard water using
an ion-exchange. A cylinder inside a water softener contains
sodium chloride or potassium chloride. These chlorides attract
the calcium and magnesium which render the water softer. Soft
water has a low amount of minerals. However, sodium or potassium
chloride is also released into the water during this process.
What problems are created by water softeners?
Water softeners do not filter out anything but the minerals
Water softening systems are effective in reducing minerals
in the water but do not treat other chemicals, pollutants
and heavy metals thus leaving chlorine, chloramines, ammonia
and other harmful contaminants in the water. As you will read
about below, reverse osmosis systems must be installed as
an addition to a water softening unit for drinking water because
it is not advisable to drink water saturated with sodium or
potassium. But even with a reverse osmosis system, the problem
of showering and bathing in water containing harmful chemicals
is not addressed by either of these systems.
Water that is saturated with sodium or potassium chloride
The first problem caused by water softeners is that water
coming into your house for drinking and bathing contains sodium
or potassium chloride. Many people do not like to brush their
teeth or drink the water that has been softened so they have
to add a filter that removes the salt. However, we often overlook
the effect of bathing in water and the absorption of what
the water contains into our body. The skin is the largest
organ and absorbs water while we shower and bathe. It stands
to reason that we should bathe and shower in the cleanest,
freshest water possible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chloride
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_chloride
Water softeners must be regenerated regularly adding to the
amount of sodium or potassium saturated water going back to
water treatment plants, and/or to rivers and the ocean
Water softeners regenerate by flushing the buildup of calcium
and magnesium in the brine in the cylinder. During the regeneration
cycle the sodium or potassium saturated water is flushed into
the sewer system. Along with normal waste water from bathing,
doing dishes, laundry, etc. this is causing an environmental
problem as well as a cost problem for water treatment plants.
What environmental problems are caused by water softeners?
There is cause for concern with excess salt levels (brine)
being discharged into the sewer system. Because sodium and
potassium saturated water can harm fish and aquatic life,
impact crops irrigated with water, and affect downstream users,
water treatment plants are under strict guidelines regarding
the levels of sodium and potassium they can discharge. Reducing
these levels is extremely expensive and wasteful compounding
our water shortage issues in the state.
25 communities in the state of California have banned the
use of water softeners. Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill
in late 2008 allowing cities in the state to consider the
ban due to environmental concerns.
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1146604.html
Sodium or potassium pellets have to be continually
be replaced
When owning a water softener, a burden that is placed on the
home owner is to continually replenish the sodium or potassium.
Salt can be purchased at the grocery store but then it has
to be taken home and dumped into the tank. This is a chore
that many don’t want or are incapable of performing.
There are monthly services with a fee associated to them that
will come out and do the work for you by either bringing the
sodium or potassium or by exchanging the tank each time.
What are reverse osmosis water filter systems?
To offset the problem of sodium or potassium saturated water
for drinking, Reverse osmosis (RO) water filter units are
typically installed under the kitchen sink to provide clean
drinking water for water softener owners.
The membranes used for reverse osmosis have a dense barrier
layer. In most cases the membrane is designed to allow only
water to pass through this dense layer while preventing the
passage of solutes (such as salt ions). This process requires
that a high pressure be exerted on the high concentration
side of the membrane.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis#cite_note-3
What problems are created by reverse osmosis water
filter systems?
Other than regular maintenance (replacement of filters which
can cost up to $200 /yr) of the membrane, the main problem
with RO systems is that they waste a significant amount of
water. It is estimated that for every gallon of drinking water,
the RO system flushes 3 gallons of water out to the sewer.
This is up to a 75% waste of water.
Because of this waste, RO systems are not the optimal solution
for water filtration in California and other states combating
the effects of a declining water supply. Also using a reverse
osmosis system as a whole house water filter is cost prohibitive
and wastes even more water.
A point about healthy water
Reducing minerals in the water is one way of preventing lime
scale build up in pipes and on fixtures. Water that contains
minerals is said to be good for bones, teeth and blood.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3741/is_6_49/ai_75609561
In Review - The Pros and Cons
Water softeners and reverse osmosis
Pros and Cons
Significantly reduces minerals in the water Saturates the
water with sodium
or potassium chloride
Use of such systems has caused problems for the environment
and water treatment plants leading many communities to ban
them
Monthly maintenance fees and/or the cost of salt or potassium
replacement
A reverse osmosis system has to be installed for drinking
water which wastes up to 75% of the water running through
it.
Water run through a water softener and then an RO system contains
no minerals which is one of the benefits to the body of drinking
water.
The WATERBOY™ Water Filter From Superior Water
The WATERBOY Whole House Water filtration and Conditioning
System from Superior Water addresses both the filtration of
contaminants and hard water issues without the use of chemicals
and monthly maintenance. It also does not waste water, or
send contaminated water down the drain to our rivers and water
treatment plants, and it is a GreenSpec listed product.
http://www.superiorwater.com/greenspec-listing-for-superior-water-filtration-products.html
How the WATERBOY Cleans Your Water
The WATERBOY uses granular activated carbon, quartz silica,
and KDF (copper, zinc) to filter out chlorine, chloramines,
ammonia, dirt, sand, chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals
from your water supply. You then have fresh, clean water coming
from every tap and shower in the house.
http://www.superiorwater.com/how-the-waterboy-water-filtration-system-works.html
How the WATERBOY Treats Hard Water
To deal with the hard water issues we face in San Diego and
other places, the WATERBOY has a module used in 400,000 industrial
applications to reduce lime scale buildup in boilers and cooling
towers. Fortune 500 companies such as Eastman-Kodak and General
Motors have adopted this technology to avoid having to use
costly, toxic chemicals to keep their boilers and cooling
towers free of lime scale due to minerals.
Minerals have both a positive and negative charge. Due to
the fact the fact that opposites attract, the positive charge
in one mineral molecule will attract and attach itself to
the negative charge of another mineral molecule and/or a negative
charge in pipes and appliances. Therefore minerals will clump
together and cause lime scale build up. This can cause damage
to pipes and appliances in the home.
The module installed in every WATERBOY whole home water filter
uses a high pressure magnetic force to cause a reverse polarization
on the minerals. Instead of attracting to each other, pipes
and appliances, these mineral molecules now repel each other
and become suspended in the water.
Because of this process, the WATERBOY is considered in many
water softener reviews and comparisons to be a saltless water
softener or a magnetic water softener even though it does
not remove minerals from the water.
http://www.superiorwater.com/commercial-and-industrial-water-filtration-systems.html
What is the benefit of the way the WATERBOY water
filter treats hard water?
The benefit to you is that minerals do not stick and adhere
to plumbing, fixtures and appliances yet your family gets
these minerals from the water they drink and by bathing and
showering. This is the way nature intended water to be.
What maintenance is required on the WATERBOY Whole
House water filter?
The WATERBOY whole house water filter requires no outside
maintenance for typically 10 to 12 years of water filtration
depending on usage. A few times each month the WATERBOY conducts
self-maintenance by back flushing which regrades the media
and flushes out contaminants. The water used during the back
flush is drained into the yard or flower bed causing no water
waste. Trees, flowers and grass flourish when watered by the
WATERBOY.
Comparison Between Water softeners with Reverse osmosis,
and the WATERBOY Whole House Water filter
Water softener with RO The WATERBOY
Use of Chemicals YES (sodium or potassium chloride) NONE
Whole House Filtration NO- only filters drinking water YES-Every
Tap in the House
Treats Hard water YES- removes all minerals YES- conditions
minerals
Wastes Water YES- up to 75% NO- water is used for irrigation
Environmental Issues YES- negatively impacts fish, NO- GreenSpec
listed product
farm land & treatment plants
Legislative Bans in CA YES- 25 CA cities have banned them
NO- The State of CA has chosen
the WATERBOY to be installed
at San Diego State University campus
Monthly Cost & Maintenance YES- must resupply salt or
potassium NO- every 10 to 12 years
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