3. The Taste of Softened Water
What Does Softened Water Taste Like?
Everyone has a different perception of taste — it really depends on individual preferences.
We get so used to the flavour of chalk in our tap water that hard water starts to feel “normal” to us.
When the chalk is removed, many people describe softened water as tasting slightly sweeter and much more refreshing — in fact, the way water naturally should taste.
(See the photo to the right — that’s a glass of hard water where the dissolved chalk is invisible. When we treat the same water sample with a special chemical, the chalk suddenly becomes visible — it’s amazing how much chalk is dissolved even in a small amount of hard water!)
Many of our customers tell us they start drinking more water once they have softened water, simply because they find the taste so much more enjoyable.
The Exception to the Taste Rule
Very occasionally, some customers say they detect a slight salty taste. That sometimes can be explained to the fact that they are putting salt in the softener, and so associate the tast with salt.
In very rare cases, just the smallest ppm of sodium can be detected by those with exceptionally sensitive taste buds. One particularly memorable customer was an official Tea Taster for a global tea company, whose profession involved tasting hundreds of subtle tea blends daily. She explained that her sense of taste was extremely refined — and that most people would never notice the difference she could detect.
It’s important to remember:
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This level of taste sensitivity is incredibly rare — truly “one in a million.”
The Precipitation Test
If you’d like to try a simple experiment yourself:
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Take a glass of hard water and hold it up to the light — it will look completely clear.
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Take a sample of that same water, add a precipitating agent (which we can do for you), and you’ll immediately see the chalk appear.
If you sip the original hard water while looking at the precipitated chalk, you’ll notice the water feels fuller or heavier in your mouth — that’s the dissolved chalk you’re feeling roll across your tongue.
Removing chalk changes the flavour of water.
When you first try softened water, the taste might feel slightly different — everyone’s experience is unique.
When I (Laurence) first tried softened water, I described it like tasting 'boiled water gone cold'.
My mother thought it had a slight metallic taste. My father? He couldn’t tell the difference at all! And many of our customers have said it simply tastes beautiful, clean, and fresh. Over time, most people find they not only adapt — they actually prefer softened water.
Something to note is that sometimes when selling water softener, sales people (not from Hydroworks) will come into your home with a portable water softener so that you can taste softened water - which I would personally never drink the water from - the water always tastes artificially different from those devices - often due to incorrect flushing out of brine water or bacteria buildup due to poor maintenance!
A Short Case Study
One of our Croydon clients was initially very concerned about whether she’d like the taste of softened water. When we installed her new softener, we fitted a hard water tap at the kitchen sink, just to be safe.
About a year later, when I went back to deliver some salt, she laughed and told me she’d adapted to softened water straight away — and now she even takes a flask of softened water with her when visiting friends and family, just so she can enjoy her tea and drinking water the way she likes it!
That’s how great softened water can taste — beautiful and refreshing!
A Small Note About "New Softener' Taste
Softened water can taste a little different for the first 2–3 weeks after installation. That’s because the softener’s resin is freshly manufactured — just like a new oven smells different when first used.
Over a few weeks, the taste settles beautifully — and most customers end up loving the refreshing, cleaner taste.
Always remember:
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Softened water will always taste different from hard water — because there is no rock chalk that masks other flavours.