Does a water softener remove fluoride?

Fluoride levels are not affected when you fit a water softener.  

A Harvey water softener only exchanges positively charged ions such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium. Fluoride, chloride, sulphate and nitrate are negatively charged, so your softener won’t remove fluoride from water. 

Why fluoride is present in natural water supplies 

Fluoride is a mineral found in water and some foods. It occurs naturally in water, with different levels in different areas. In the early 20th century, experts discovered that people who lived in areas with higher fluoride levels in their drinking water had less tooth decay in. In the 1960s, UK authorities began to launch fluoridation schemes to help improve the nation’s oral health. 

Today, water companies adjust the level of fluoride to the optimal level to reduce tooth decay, measured at 1mg of fluoride per litre of water. They check and control this continuously. Around 5.7 million households in the UK receive water that has fluoride added to reach this level.  

Water fluoridation is safe and beneficial: it’s endorsed by the World Health Organisation and respected UK organisations including the British Medical Association and the British Dental Association. 

You need a reverse osmosis unit for fluoride free water 

If your natural water supply has excessive fluoride or you wish to remove fluoride from water for other reasons, we can fit a reverse osmosis unit, a type of filter to reduce fluoride levels or remove it completely from your drinking water. 

Reverse osmosis units use a semi-permeable membrane which allows water molecules through but blocks larger molecules, including contaminants and impurities. Minerals, such as fluoride, that are dissolved in the natural water supply are also removed, leaving you with completely pure water. 

Across the UK, many people suffer from the effects of hard water. If you’re unsure whether you have hard water in your home, try our water quality test to find out how hard the water is in your area. Your water hardness