Yes. Well water has electrolytes in it. Some wells may produce water rich in electrolytes, such as calcium and magnesium, making water hard. Some may have high chloride and phosphate levels, making water salty.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that dissolve in water. These minerals include sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphate. All of these minerals are required by humans for proper growth and functioning.
How many electrolytes do you need?
A healthy adult needs these electrolytes in following quantities.
- Sodium: 2300 mg/day
- Calcium: 2500 mg/day (2000 mg/day for 51 and older)
- Magnesium: 400-420 mg/day (men), 310-320 mg/day (women)
- Potassium: 3500-4700 mg/day
- Phosphate: 1100-1200 mg/day (men), 1500-1600 mg/day (women)
Your well water usually contains all of these minerals. While these minerals are good for your health, they are not good for your appliances, water filters, and plumbing fixtures. For example, calcium and magnesium make water hard. Hard water damages appliances, plumbing fixtures, your skin and hair.
Why do you have to remove electrolytes from well water?
Well water is rich in minerals (electrolytes) like calcium and magnesium. These minerals make well water hard. Hard water damages your costly appliances, toilets, bathtubs, water pipes, and water heaters.
Hard water also damages your skin, causes itch and rash, dandruff, and hair fall. Therefore, treating well water before it reaches your home is important.
How to know my well water has electrolytes?
A water test is the most reliable and accurate way of knowing what’s present in your well water and in what concentration.
Is it bad to remove electrolytes from well water?
You may think removing calcium and magnesium from well water is not good for your health. However, this isn’t the case. Calcium and magnesium cause a lot of damage to your home. Hence, it is better to remove them from your well water.
Potassium and other electrolytes are not removed from water. They are good for your health. The daily intake requirement for removed electrolytes can be fulfilled from other sources of your diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables are rich in these minerals.
Many RO systems come with a remineralization stage. This stage adds all the minerals back into water that were removed during RO filtration.
Do I need to drink electrolyte-enhanced water or beverages?
No. You don’t need electrolyte-enhanced beverages if you work out for less than an hour and have a healthy diet.
So, electrolytes in water may not matter too much, but you can’t ignore the importance of water. Water sustains life, and proper hydration is critical for staying healthy. A fully hydrated body performs better, thinks sharper, and you stay happy.
