It might not have come as a surprise to you – you come home from a hard day in the sun and reach out to a glass of cold water. And gag over it, for the water tastes salty. Have you ever wondered why your water tastes salty? Let us try finding answers to that question.
Water can taste salty due to several reasons. A few common and most possible reasons that can make your water taste salty would include a high concentration of chloride ions, high levels of sulfates, and issues with the water softener that you are using. It may also be possible that you may be feeling sick, and the water may feel salty even when it is not salty.
What Makes Water Taste Salty?
So, you found your water taste very salty. It can be due to a host of reasons. Let us explore each of them one by one and find how they can affect the taste of your water supply.
Chlorides
The most common reason for the water to taste salty is that it has a high concentration of chlorides. In addition to making water taste salty, it can also affect your teeth. The excess chloride in water can also cause your pipes to corrode.
It can also be something you need to take absolute care of if you are on a sodium-restricted diet.
Multiple reasons can make your water to have a high chloride levels:
- The Chlorides may come from the salt deposits
- It might be possible that sea water has entered your water supply. This is quite common if you are living in an area close to the sea or ocean.
- In the cold, weathered regions, salt used to de-ice the roads might have entered the water supply.
- Your water softener may be faulty.
Sulfates
Another reason for the salty taste in your water supply is the concentration of sulfates. Some common sources of sulfates would include sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate. Sulfates can typically occur naturally in soil and rocks and thus enter the groundwater.
Sulfates may also enter your water supply due to the industrial waste and shale. It may also be added to the water supply due to the breakdown of sulfide ores. Too much sulfate in the water can cause laxative effects.
Malfunction in water softeners
Any sort of malfunction in your water softener can result in a high salty taste in your water supply. If you are using a traditional water softener that consists of a brine tank, it is quite possible that you will come across salty water.
In fact, you may also find a salty taste in your drinking water if you have faced a power outage that might have caused an interruption in the regeneration process of your water softener.
Is Salty Water Safe to Drink?
Too much salt can damage the kidneys. This is applicable to the salty water as well. However, the amount of salt in your drinking water generally does not reach such dangerous amounts. So, even when the water may taste salty, it is definitely not much dangerous, as long as you are not consuming it for a longer period.
However, it may also be noticed that salt is not the only contaminant in your water; but your water supply may also contain over 316 times of contaminants.
Consuming salty water for a longer duration can also result in laxative effects. It can also leave a salty taste in your mouth for a more extended period.
Why Does Bottled Water Taste Salty to Me?
While your tap water may taste salty due to multiple reasons, why would a bottled water taste salty? It can be due to multiple reasons, such as contamination or the issues during the bottling process.
Bottled water should never taste salty. In fact, bottled water is processed, and all the impurities in the water are removed. Some of the common reasons where your bottled water can taste salty can include
- Contamination – It is possible that the water bottle may not be adequately sealed. It may have come across issues during bottling, which must have resulted in getting the contaminants inside your water bottle.
- More mineral content – Some bottled water brands inherently come with a high mineral content. A few such mineral content can include sodium or magnesium. These minerals can give a highly salty taste to your bottled water.
- Issues with processing – Some of the problems in processing can introduce a salty taste in the bottled water. Bottled water typically uses reverse osmosis or other filtration methods. To remove the minerals from the water. If these methods are not followed properly, the bottled water may end up getting mineral content in the salt.
Why Does My Water Taste Salty in the Morning?
If you find your water tastes salty in the morning, it may possibly be due to the water softener. This is primarily due to the fact that most of the water softeners have their regeneration cycles set at night. Most of the water softeners have the regeneration cycle set between 2 to 4 am. The water containing salt can leak into your water supply during this time.
You may need to flush out the water if you find it salty in the morning. Flushing out the water until the water is no longer salty is the only option you can opt for.
How Do You Fix Salty Tap Water?
There are several ways that you can fix the salty taste in your water supply. Depending on what is causing your water to taste salty, you can use different methods to treat your salty water conditions.
Chlorides and sulphates – Use Reverse Osmosis
If your water supply is tasting salty due to sulfates and chlorides, the best option to fix it is to use Reverse Osmosis. Reverse Osmosis can remove particles that are smaller than one micron. The process can effectively and efficiently remove minerals and other contaminants easily.
Water softener issues – Get the water softener repaired or replaced
That should be an ideal solution in many cases. In most of the cases, the issue lies in an issue with the regeneration cycle of the water softener. The clogged injector or any drain issue should be what would help you fix the issue.
The Closing Thoughts
Well, water that tastes salty can be a huge concern. It can indeed ruin your taste; the salty taste may remain in your mouth for a prolonged period of time. It can be due to several reasons that your water may taste salty. However, depending upon the actual reason that may be causing the water to taste salty, you can apply the right fixes to ensure that the water can be treated and made to taste better.
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