What does softened water taste like?

Some people are more sensitive than others to the taste of water. You may be able to detect a difference in flavour between unsoftened and softened water. But there’s no right answer to which one tastes best! It really depends what you are used to. If you grew up in a soft water area, you might well prefer the taste of soft water. If you are used to drinking hard water, that’s the one you will probably like better. 

Why soft water does not taste salty 

People often think that softened water will taste of salt, because it’s added to the softener machine. In fact, that salt doesn’t go into the water supply. It’s used to regenerate the resin beads in the ion exchange process that softens the water. There is more salt in a slice of ham than in a gallon of softened water.  

The taste of water in drinks and cooking 

In tests, people often prefer how softened water tastes in tea and coffee. That may be because it contains fewer minerals which could react with the tea or coffee to affect the flavour. The same can apply to cooking: some chefs prefer to use softened water to avoid affecting the flavour of the food. 

Bad tasting water 

When people talk about tap water not tasting nice, it can be because of the chlorine content. This is likely to be more in hard water areas, because more is used in treatment plants. Some people experience a stronger chlorine taste because they live close to the water treatment plant. The chlorine deteriorates over time, so if your water hasn’t travelled far to reach your tap, more of it will remain. It’s not harmful – in fact the chlorination process is what makes our mains tap water healthy and safe to drink. It removes impurities, harmful chemicals and discoloration.    

Fitting a drinking water tap 

When we fit a Harvey water softener, we also install a hard water drinking tap as standard. This means you can decide which water to consume. You can choose softened or unsoftened water for your drinks and cooking. 

View our range of water filters – they’re all compatible with our drinking water taps. We offer both active carbon and So Clear filters, so that you can keep your water clear of minerals. Find out more here.