Do you have a water softener? Many of us do – especially if you have a well. But there are some things to consider when having a water softener when it comes to your septic system.
Water softeners basically run on mineral replacement. In other words, it uses salt to replace minerals like iron in our water. There is more to it than that, but we just want to focus in on the salt for a moment.
Low levels of salt are in the water when we have a softener because of the mineral replacement process. So what does this mean for your septic system? First, it does have an effect on the bacteria. Bacteria is important, especially in your septic tank. But the salt can kill some of this bacteria and cause the breakdown of solids to slow down.
The second thing is concrete tanks and baffles. When salt is introduced to concrete, it breaks it down. This means that the tank, and more particularly the baffles, can suffer.
If you have a water softener and a septic system, contact us to perform an inspection before issues arise.