Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] Re: permaculture Digest, Vol 24, Issue 17

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: David Neeley <dbneeley@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Re: permaculture Digest, Vol 24, Issue 17
  • Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 18:15:44 -0600

David,

I keep hearing this misconception regarding a salt-based water softener.

The actual amount of sodium ions in the water after a softener does
its thing is actually *very* low.

When you say "the prresence of salts" that is normally referring to a
buildup in the soil of mineral salts from the water that do not
evaporate when the water does. Over time, the concetration builds up a
great deal.

However, softened water is not generally the problem here...and the
amount of sodium ions that remain are in quantity much smaller than
the physical quantity of calcium or magnesium in the hard water.

There are solar-powered distiller plans, IIRC, on the website of Home
Power Magazine. This might be an excellent method for you to get
distiled water for your plants...but you are not likely to have much
problem with a resin-based sodium ion softener. The mineral residue
when the water evaporates after being softened is a very small thing
compared to what you are likely experiencing now.

David


>
> Meg,
>Supposedly they are very sensitive to both hard water and the
> presence of salts (which, unfortunately, seems to rule out using salt to
> remediate the water).
>
> - David



  • [permaculture] Re: permaculture Digest, Vol 24, Issue 17, David Neeley, 01/13/2005

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page