Every private well owner wants to ensure that the water from their well is clean, safe and free from dangerous contaminants. However, what about elevated levels of things that are not necessarily harmful in small quantities? One of the concerns that many private well owners in Maryland have is elevated levels of sodium in the water. If you are concerned about sodium in your well water, here’s what you need to know to make sure that you aren’t putting your family at risk.

Sodium in Your Well Water

Sodium is naturally found in drinking water whether it comes from a private well or from a municipal water treatment facility. We all need a certain amount of sodium to stay healthy, as it helps us to maintain a proper balance of fluids and make sure that our brains are working properly. However, consuming high levels of sodium through drinking water and your diet can raise your blood pressure and lead to negative health effects.

The national dietary guidelines suggest that adults and children over the age of 14 without other health concerns should only consume 2,300 mg or less of sodium each day. This is the amount of salt that is found in a single teaspoon. If you have high blood pressure or are at risk of high blood pressure, you should reduce your sodium intake to 1,500 mg of sodium or less per day.

Because private wells are not tested or treated by anyone other than homeowners, they can be at an elevated risk of having issues. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping sodium concentrations between 30 to 60 mg per liter, and for individuals who are on a low-sodium diet for health concerns a concentration below 20 mg/L.

Is Sodium a Problem in Maryland?

In Maryland, there have been elevated levels of sodium found in private wells throughout the state. A geological survey found the average sodium level was much higher than the suggested levels by the Environmental Protection Agency, and it hovered around 92.6 mg/L. With levels that high, it can be challenging to maintain a low sodium diet and protect your health. If you follow a low sodium diet and drink 85 ounces of tap water a day (2.5 liters) with 92.6 mg/L concentrations of salt in your water, you would consume a whopping 15% of your daily salt allowance solely through your drinking water. That is a big problem for many homeowners with wells, as sometimes more sodium is added in through the water softening process thus driving the level even higher.

How Can You Know About Sodium in Your Well Water?

Hague Quality Water of Maryland is a fantastic resource for homeowners that want to learn more about their water quality and the exact amount of sodium that is present. You can have sodium testing performed during your annual testing, and if high sodium levels are found you should make sure that you continue to test sodium levels at least every three years. If you are concerned about the amount of salt in your well water and have other health concerns, you should contact your doctor to speak about next steps and get the most accurate health advice possible.

How Can You Remove Sodium in Your Well Water?

• Test your water’s hardness level and see how much iron and manganese are being removed. This will give you insight into how much salt is being added into the water during the water softening process.
• Consider using Potassium Chloride instead of salt to soften your water.
• If you are worried about too much sodium in your well water, you can use a salt free water treatment system from Hague Quality Water of Maryland that utilizes alternate technologies when softening is not needed.
• Reverse osmosis systems are an ideal solution for removing Sodium from your water. These systems are very thorough, and they are able to lower the levels of other contaminants in your water. We can help you determine the perfect solution for your well water, whether you have high sodium levels or chlorine present.

Hague Quality Water of Maryland is here to be your resource for water testing and treatment.

If You Live in a Home With a Private Well, You Need Hague Quality Water of Maryland

If you are concerned about the quality and contents of your water, we are here to help with your water improvement projects. Whether you need the Hague WaterMax® System or additional filtration beyond that, our team cares deeply about the health and safety of your family.  We offer a convenient mail-in water testing kit for conducting a complete water test at home. If you’d prefer to drop off samples, you can also do so easily. For additional assistance, call Hague Quality Water of Maryland at (410) 757-2992.