Madison's Everyday Engineering

Madison's Everyday Engineering


Not a hard topic: water softeners

April 07, 2021

A lot of residents want the feeling of soft water, the silky-hair-out-of-the-shower-feeling, which is possible with salt. However, have you ever thought of how much damage you’re doing thanks to the amount of salt you’re putting into your water softener? It’s a question City of Madison Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky asks to Water Resource Engineer Phil Gaebler and Wisconsin Salt Wise Coordinator Allison Madison, both experts in salt and salt reduction. Not only do they explain what sort of impact salt from your softener can have on the environment, they’ll tell you what to look for when deciding if you need to replace your softener.