Softened and Filtered Water Health Benefits

The financial and time saving benefits of a water softener are clear, evident and proven. However, there is a still a grey area within the Water Treatment Industry regarding the health benefits gained from having a Water Softener in your home. At every new installation we begin with the view that there are two options regarding drinking water at the kitchen tap. Either to plumb the softener in such a way that a hard cold feed is going to the sink, or to install a Reverse Osmosis System under the sink, fed from the softener.

Plenty of people are quite happy to drink softened water, as are most fine with drinking hard water. We suggest that the people who should certainly not drink softened water to be those with a sodium controlled diet, such as young babies or the elderely.

Another area which is currently undergoing study, is the relationship between softened water and irratable skin conditions such as eczema. We know for fact that a softener in your home will reduce the need for as many soaps and cleaning materials, which can ontain additives such as perfumes which irritate sensitive skin. The dissolved rock in hard water can also remain on the skin after showering, stopping the bodies natural oils to leave the pores on your skin. This has been known to cause dryness and cracking.

At the moment, we can not be certain on a scientific level if a water softener will actually treat these conditions, however a study being conducted by the University of Nottingham known as SWET (Softened Water Eczema Trial) will give these results towards the end of this year. To find out more about the trials visit www.swet-trial.co.uk.

As for filtered water, plenty of people enjoy the taste of fresh drinking water as apposed to their standard mains water. This is usually found to be dependant on location and from which reservoir the water is pumped from. The smaller single cartridge filters are mainly installed to remove bad taste and odour from the water, and can be deemed as effective, if not more so than jug filters. To be sure that you are drinking the purest water however, a Reverse Osmosis system would be installed. These systems normally use a 3-stage principle. Firstly a pre filter removes chlorine and sediment, next the Reverse Osmosis Membrane which forces the water through a semipermeable membrane removing any inorganic compounds or nitrates. Lastly the post filter works much the same as a standard single cartridge filter to remove bad taste and odour, otherwise known as the 'polishing filter'. These systems can vary in size and amount of different additional cartridges used, dependant on what contaminents are present in your mains supply. Some systems are even deemed to produce biopure water, which is the highest quality water. Many bottled water companies use industrial plant sized Reverse Osmosis equipment to produce gallons of RO water for supermarkets and alike. Don't always believe the adverts telling you it comes from the mountains!

In any case, there are many doctors out there who recommend filtered water. After all, the purer and cleaner the water is, the less contaminents are entering your body. If in doubt, ask your GP about the benefits. Also, take a look at our article on the effects of chlorine in your water supply here. In 2008 a study conducted showed some exceptionally worrying results which will make even the most skeptical of people consider what's really in their water.