Updated
Many people can drink softened water, but the right choice depends on how much sodium the softener adds and whether a healthcare professional has told you to limit sodium. A water test is the safest way to replace guesswork with the actual sodium level at your drinking tap.
How a Water Softener Changes Drinking Water
Salt-based ion-exchange softeners remove hardness minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, and replace them with sodium ions. The amount of sodium added is not the same in every home; it depends on the incoming hardness, the equipment and how the system is configured.
A softener is not a drinking-water disinfectant. The CDC’s home water treatment guidance says water softeners remove hardness minerals but do not remove parasites, bacteria or viruses. If a test identifies a contaminant of concern, choose treatment that is specifically certified for that substance.
When Sodium Needs Extra Attention
The EPA says drinking water is not a major source of sodium for most people. It also advises people being treated for sodium-sensitive hypertension to ask their healthcare provider about the sodium in their water. For a very low-sodium diet of 500 milligrams per day, the EPA recommends drinking water contain no more than 20 milligrams per liter of sodium. Read the EPA drinking-water sodium advisory for the complete guidance.
Albuquerque’s municipal water already contains some sodium before it enters a home softener. The Water Authority’s 2025 Water Quality Report lists a 29 parts-per-million system-wide compliance-monitoring average and a 22–75 parts-per-million range from special distribution monitoring. Those figures describe the public supply, not the level after treatment inside an individual home.
Practical Drinking-Water Options
- Test sodium at the cold drinking-water tap after the softener.
- Ask a healthcare professional what sodium limit applies if you have a prescribed sodium restriction.
- Consider leaving one cold kitchen tap on an unsoftened bypass when the plumbing layout allows it.
- Use a point-of-use reverse-osmosis system certified for sodium reduction if testing shows that option fits your needs. The CDC notes that reverse osmosis can remove sodium, but the product label should identify the substances that the specific model is certified to reduce.
An appropriate laboratory or sodium test can measure the level at your tap. MicroPure can explain the difference between whole-home water softening and point-of-use reverse osmosis. Medical decisions about sodium intake should remain between you and your healthcare professional.