Why a water softener is worth it

There are many advantages to a water softener Yet many people still wonder whether a Buy a water softener whether it’s actually worth it or a waste of time. It all starts with the question: do you have limescale build-up in your home? For most people, the answer is a clear ‘yes’. In that case, a water softener is definitely worth it.

In the Netherlands, the water isn’t equally hard everywhere, so often Is a water softener worth it? and sometimes not. Take a look at ‘How hard is the water where I live?‘ for water hardness.

A water softener provides the following benefits, amongst others:

• Appliances work better and never need descaling again
• The spray pattern of a rain shower remains consistent
• Sparkling, limescale-free crockery
• Less washing powder needed and (even) softer laundry
• Reduction in eczema and psoriasis
• A car dries without leaving streaks after being washed

Is a water softener bad for your health?

Despite the many benefits, there is often a debate about whether using a water softener is sensible or not. This is usually because the focus suddenly shifts from limescale problems to water quality – and the associated health issues. However, that is a different discussion. We are convinced that the quality of tap water in the Netherlands is of a high standard. Moreover, the purpose of a water softener is not to produce ‘healthier’ water, but simply to remove the limescale – nothing more and nothing less.

Another point of discussion is that calcium is good for the body and that this component is deliberately removed. We explain this issue in detail on the page Is a water softener unhealthy? . 

The two minerals removed from the water during the water-softening process are calcium and magnesium. Both minerals are important for human health, but are present only in very small amounts in tap water that has not been softened. The tap water here in Dronten contains 35.5 mg/litre of calcium and 2.64 mg/litre of magnesium. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends a daily intake of 1,000–1,200 mg of calcium and 280–350 mg of magnesium for adults. So, if you want to meet your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of calcium from water, you would need to drink at least 28 litres of water; for magnesium, this figure is even higher, at over 100 litres a day.

The table below shows the calcium content of two dairy products and water:

• Semi-skimmed milk (250 ml): 300 mg
• Cheese (per slice): 160 mg
• Water in Dronten (250 ml): 9 mg

The table below shows the magnesium content of two products and of water:

• Dark chocolate (100 grams): 210 mg
• Avocado (per piece): 58 mg
• Water in Dronten (250 ml): 0.66 mg

Mineral water versus tap water

People in the Netherlands drink a lot of mineral water because of the widespread belief that it is healthier and better than tap water. Tap water in the Netherlands is of excellent quality from a health perspective. In fact, our tap water is subject to much stricter quality standards than bottled spring water. Bottled mineral or spring water does not always meet drinking water standards.

See also: Is spring water healthier than tap water?

In accordance with statutory requirements, our drinking water is tested for 65 substances. The quality requirements for bottled water are set out in the Packaged Waters Decree under the Commodities Act. This decree specifies the maximum or minimum permitted levels in the water for only fifteen of these substances.

What’s more, tap water costs a fraction of the price of spring water. Tap water costs around 0.1 cents per litre. Spring water is therefore at least 500 times more expensive than tap water. Spring water also varies greatly in composition. It can therefore never be claimed that it is healthier, because what exactly is ‘healthy’? For example: Spa Rood contains 5 mg of sodium per litre, whilst Vichy Célestin contains 1,172 mg of sodium per litre. For a sodium-restricted diet, the RDA is 2,000 mg of sodium per day. Given that we drink an average of one and a half litres of water a day, if you were to drink only Vichy, you would already be close to the maximum limit. This is therefore anything but healthy.

Furthermore, a great deal of tap water is extracted from the ground and is therefore, strictly speaking, also spring water. Although opinions on this are divided, it is certainly very remarkable that the best-selling Spa Reine contains only 5 mg/l of calcium. This is almost nothing and, in any case, seven times less than in Dronten. Tap water without calcium is therefore excellent drinking water and has nothing but benefits.

Relative water hardness

The amount lime Water hardness in the Netherlands is measured in degrees (German hardness). On average, tap water in the Netherlands has a hardness of 8dH.

As the average water hardness is much higher in some European countries, water is only classified as very hard when the hardness exceeds 30dH, whilst a hardness of 8dH falls into the ‘moderately soft’ category. You might think that a water softener is therefore unnecessary in the Netherlands because we have, on average, soft water. We would like to correct that impression.

A hardness of 1°dH means that there are 17.8 grams of calcium carbonate per 1,000 litres of water.

With an average water hardness of 8°dH and an annual water consumption of 150m³, that means you’ll end up with one kilogram of limescale in your pipes every two weeks! The conclusion is that, whilst there is certainly not nearly as much calcium in tap water in the Netherlands as in some other countries, it is by no means surprising that you are experiencing limescale problems.