A few years ago, a controversy erupted in this industry on whether water softener discharges hurt the performance of onsite treatment systems.
The Water Quality Association (WQA), which represents makers of residential water treatment systems, insisted that the discharges were not harmful. Some members of the onsite industry took quite a different position.
NOWRA responded by convening panel discussions and forming a study group with WQA to address the issue. The result, released late last year, is a guidance document for using onsite systems and water softeners on the same site. The advice has value for homeowners, installers, and maintenance professionals alike.
This guidance is an interim step in addressing an issue that’s still a long way from being resolved. Nevertheless, it’s a good example of two industries coming together in a productive manner to address an issue of mutual concern. Instead of forming battle lines and shouting back and forth at each other, the groups have discussed the issue openly, done the research, and established a process for working toward real answers.
Sometimes a necessity
The document acknowledges that water conditioning is a necessity in many homes, as untreated well water is often too hard and may have unpleasant tastes or odors. It notes that while water softeners and onsite treatment systems are often used together and in most cases with no problems, there have been sporadic issues.
Therefore, while research continues, experts in both fields collaborated to offer a series of practical guidelines to follow in cases where a problem between an onsite system and a water softener is suspected. For example:
• Make sure the onsite system is being properly maintained and that the water softener is adjusted and operating properly.
• Inspect the home for sources of excess water usage, such as leaking toilet flappers and valves, as excess flow is a major cause of onsite system failures.
• If there is a problem with an onsite system that is taking a softener discharge, have the site evaluated by experts from both specialties. Those experts should use a screening tool developed by NOWRA and WQA and return the information to either organization for tracking and evaluation.
This guidance is highly practical: It all seems to make perfect sense.
How it came to pass
Development of the water conditioning system guidance fits the mission of the Technical Practices Committee, which is to create technical materials on proven and successful technologies, soil science, transmission, installation, and recycling and reuse practices that enable effective and safe onsite systems and protect water quality.
Matt Byers, onsite program manager with Zoeller Pump Co., was chair of the committee when discussions about water-conditioning systems came to the forefront in 2005. He co-authored the guidance document with WQA technical director Joe Harrison and current Technical Practices Committee chair Allison Blodig.
The two associations have been working together since 2005, when NOWRA hosted a symposium on the issue at its annual conference. After that, the groups set up a task force that has continued to work toward answers.
Meanwhile, WQA held a similar symposium at one of its meetings, with participation from the onsite industry.
Late last year, representatives from both groups took part in a workshop sponsored by the Water Environment Research Foundation and the U.S. EPA that led to identification of five research priorities for the water softener and onsite industries.
The positive path
Byers and Harrison see cooperation as the best route forward. “It’s been gratifying to see the good response from everybody — from our own members and from the onsite wastewater side,” Harrison says. “When I say we want to get at the truth behind this issue, people are very positive toward that.
“Having WERF take an interest was really a very positive thing. Their getting the EPA involved and bringing together various experts and viewpoints in the workshop last year was very fruitful. It has organized and crystallized what the important questions are that need to be researched.”
Byers observes, “The question is huge. We’re talking about onsite systems and inputs — chemistry, biology and physics — that many in the field have experience with. But, even with those experiences, we have yet to solve this question.
“WQA needs to understand how onsite systems work and are regulated, and onsite professionals need to understand their waste streams and how to accommodate diverse waste streams for the benefit of the consumer. The guidelines we’ve created are a starting point really. The next phase will reveal many facts the industries can use.
“NOWRA has done the right thing in pursuing this issue. The association’s job is to serve the onsite community, and if there’s a nagging question hanging out there, it’s NOWRA’s responsibility to try and resolve it. Working this issue is something NOWRA has done that I think has value.”
