Safety And Special Interest
Question: I live in a cooperative apartment in which all the water is softened. The April 1981 issue of Canadian Consumer stressed that drinking water should not be softened because of possible health risks. But is it necessary to drink unsoftened water? It would be very expensive to rearrange the plumbing (I recall an estimate of $15 000).Answer: The health risks involved in water softening are caused by sodium added to the water. Health and Welfare Canada's publication, Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, states that the maximum acceptable concentration for sodium in drinking water has not been established, but it recommends you notify the appropriate health authorities if the sodium concentration exceeds 20 milligrams per litre. Your water can be tested by the municipal water works, or by provincial labs.
Stan MacBeth, Chief of Environment Ontario Laboratory Services for south-eastern Ontario, said there have been few documented cases where sodium has been a cause for health problems unless the person was originally unhealthy. He said that sodium in water is only a risk for people on low-sodium diets.
Sodium can be a problem for people with high blood pressure and kidney disease. Health and Welfare Canada's report said that congenital heart disease can be aggravated by sodium. As for high blood pressure, it stated:
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December 4, 2008