Softener OK with septic/soakaway?

[RomyD]

Hi,

We are making good progress with our refurb and we are now close to first fit plumbing. Our builder has suggested fitting an aquabion instead of a softener. I am a bit sceptical about this kind of device and know that salt using softeners do work. We would prefer a regular real softener but are worried about the effects on the septic tank and soakaway. Hs anyone any real world experience of using a softener in a very hard water area with a septic/soakaway? We are in Suffolk and water is very hard.

Thanks in advance

[Gone West]

4 hours ago, RomyD said:

Hs anyone any real world experience of using a softener in a very hard water area with a septic/soakaway?

Until recently we lived in East Kent and the water hardness was very high. We used twin cylinder water softeners for many years and had septic tanks and treatment plants and had no problems at all.

[Roger440]

You will find that the manufacturers of sewage treat plants say DONT use a saly based softner.

 

Someone cleverer than me will explian why.

[jamieled]

 I rerouted the backwash from our filter straight to the soakaway rather than put it into the tank. 

[RomyD]

1 hour ago, Roger440 said:

You will find that the manufacturers of sewage treat plants say DONT use a saly based softner.

 

Someone cleverer than me will explian why.

 

I'm finding all sorts of conflicting recommendations one way then the other. There are two types of septic tho, aerobic and anaerobic. Treatment plants are aerobic whilst the regular tank/soakaway arrangement is anerobic I think. Different bacteria apparently so maybe that's why.

[jamieled]

There's only one type of Septic tank. Septic tanks are anaerobic, package treatment plants tend to be aerobic.

[Gone West]

8 hours ago, RomyD said:

 

I'm finding all sorts of conflicting recommendations one way then the other. There are two types of septic tho, aerobic and anaerobic. Treatment plants are aerobic whilst the regular tank/soakaway arrangement is anerobic I think. Different bacteria apparently so maybe that's why.

I can only again say that I used water softeners for seventeen years with a septic tank and for eleven years with a treatment plant and had no problems at all. I can only imagine it's the salt content from the regeneration cycle which is thought of as possibly causing a problem and that the bacteria are adversely affected but I've seen no evidence of that.

[RomyD]

? Tks for all the replies. Tbh if it really was a problem aI suppose it would be well known because there must be loads of people off mains sewerage using softeners.