The Environmental Benefits of Soft Water

As Earth Day approaches, we are reminded of the benefits that reducing the energy we consume can have on our environment. But, what you might not realize is that these benefits can come from an unexpected source: your water softener. Despite arguments to the contrary, ion-exchange water softening is an environmentally friendly technology that can actually reduce a home’s carbon footprint. 

Turning Off the Heat 

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, water heating can account for 14 to 25 percent of the energy consumed in the home, making it the second highest energy consuming area, next to heating and cooling your home. However, current studies conducted by the Water Quality Research Foundation show that using soft water can actually reduce heating costs by up to 24 percent1. 

Turning Up the Efficiency 

Recent research from the Battelle Institute2 focused on the impact of soft water on the life and energy use of appliances commonly used in the home – such as washing machines, dish washers, plumbing fixtures and showerheads. These studies proved that with softened water, water heaters maintained 100% efficiency – whereas with hard water, efficiency dropped by 25%. 

Additionally, soft water helps maintain the polish, finish and, most importantly, full water flow of showerheads and faucets. The Battelle research showed that hard water scale can lead to a 75% loss of flow rate in just showerheads alone – a significant drop in efficiency. It’s safe to say that utilizing soft water can improve the lifetime of appliances, preventing them from prematurely entering the waste stream. 

Turning On the Green Benefits 

Culligan offers a wide range of water softeners that can help you improve your home’s carbon footprint – on Earth Day and throughout the year. To find out which water softener is right for your home’s unique needs, visit us at wp.culligan.com or to contact a local Culligan near you call 1-800-CULLIGAN. 

1 Water Quality Research Foundation: “Evaluation of Relative Effects of Hardness, Detergent Dose and Temperature to Evaluate Stain Removal Efficacy and/or Use of Less Laundry Detergent at Lower Water Temperatures” 

2Battelle Institute: “Study on Benefits of Removal of Water Hardness from a Water Supply”