No. The human body gains the minerals necessary to
good health primarily through eating foods, not through drinking
water. The body may absorb or use the minerals in water but, in
most cases, the amount would not be significant. In order for a
person to obtain sufficient minerals from water, it would be
necessary to drink many gallons daily. In general, neither a water
with a high mineral content, nor a fully softened water, could be
considered a significant source of minerals. In contrast, one glass of milk provides the mineral equivalent of multiple gallons of ordinary well water. (Cow’s milk contains about 8,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved minerals.)

Note: Certain trace elements, such as fluoride, iodine, etc., may
be obtained from water. However, these would not be removed
through common household water softening.

Yes, softened water is satisfactory for most tropical fish. According to several authorities, both fully softened water and municipally softened water should not have an undesirable or toxic effect for use in an aquarium. The most common recommendation is to introduce any water quality changes
gradually. WQA recommends checking with aquaculture experts
on the exact process.

 Yes. Softened water provides for easier maintenance of a humidifier. When hard water is evaporated, the mineral residue consists of a hard scale which normally requires some drastic treatment (such as chipping or acid) for its removal. When softened water is used, any residue can usually be
removed by flushing the unit with water or going over the surface
with a brush.

Where the amount of hardness minerals in the water is only moderate (less than 10 gpg), it is doubtful that the sodium concentration from softening would be sufficient to be a serious hazard to most plants. Most house plants require specific soil conditions for healthy growth. Many thrive best in slightly acid soils. If there is a high hardness concentration in the water being softened, the higher sodium concentration of the softened water
may be harmful to some plants. 

For outside sprinkling purposes, the use of softened water, for economy reasons, is not recommended unless necessary to prevent iron stains on buildings and concrete. Again, where the concentration of hardness minerals is heavy, the sodium salts replacing them might retard growth and might be sufficient to kill the grass.

Note: Where rainfall is rare, sodium accumulation is apt to be greatest. Heavy rain “rinses” the earth.

Actually removing calcium and magnesium from the water has little effect on the quality of ice prepared in the home. The reason is that softening the water does not reduce the total mineral concentration. To the extent that a softener removes sediment iron and manganese, for example, from water, this would help to produce at least cleaner ice. Filters can be helpful in removing iron, turbidity, tastes and odors from water used for icemaking. Demineralized water such as product water from reverse osmosis, distillation, or deionization is most ideal for icemaking of all types. The use of polyphosphates is an economical method of treating water used in typical restaurant icemaking units. 

The polyphosphates keep the minerals in the water dispersed and, in this way, minimize the cloudy appearance of ice cubes.

The amounts of sodium in softened water are minuscule compared to other normal dietary sources of sodium. In fact, ion exchange softening of water with very high levels of hardness such as 75 grains per gallon of total water hardness would add less sodium to the drinking water than is allowed in
beverages meeting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations for “Low Sodium” labeling. The polyphosphates keep the minerals in the water dispersed and, in this way, minimize the cloudy appearance of ice cubes.

Neither hard nor softened water should be used with a steam iron. Distilled water, or water treated by reverse osmosis, is acceptable for use over a period of time. Bear in mind that the softening of water does not remove the minerals, but that softened water minerals can be more easily rinsed from the iron. beverages meeting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations for “Low Sodium” labeling. The polyphosphates keep the minerals in the water dispersed and, in this way, minimize the cloudy appearance of ice cubes.

When first using softened water for household cleaning chores, it is best to use as little soap as possible. If necessary, the homeowner can gradually increase the quantity to produce the results desired.

Several studies have been conducted to determine the exact nature of water softener recharge waste effluents and their effects on private sewage disposal systems. These studies evaluated three major areas, all dealing with the effect of effluents developed during the recharge of household water
softeners. The studies found that a properly sized and operated Demand Initiated Regeneration (DIR) water softener on an efficient salt setting of 3,500 grains per pound of salt or better will not have harmful effects on a septic tank, including the Advanced Treatment Unit (ATU) type.

No, softening does not change the corrosive nature of water. The removal of hardness with an ion exchange water softener does not affect the factors which cause corrosion. Softening does not change corrosion factors such as pH or carbon dioxide concentration, dissolved oxygen concentration,
or the total chemical concentration of minerals. A softener may reduce the amounts of solid particles in the water, but cannot change other physical factors such as temperature, flow rates through pipes, or volumes of water used. Thus, ion exchange softening neither causes nor controls corrosion.