Both sodium and chloride are found naturally in the Earth’s crust, which means they can be found in your well or spring water. However, high levels of sodium and chloride typically mean that your drinking water may be contaminated with road salt, fertilizers, leaking septic systems, or malfunctioning water softeners.
Consuming water containing chloride and/or sodium alone is typically not harmful to your health. However, if sodium and chloride are in your water, that may mean other contaminants, such as bacteria, nitrates or lead, may be in your water. Plus, high levels of sodium and chloride may cause your water to taste bad.
If you or someone in your household is on a low-salt diet, talk with your health care provider about the level of sodium in your water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends no more than 20 mg/L (milligrams per liter) of sodium in drinking water for people restricted to a total sodium intake of 500 mg/day (milligrams per day).
High sodium and chloride levels can also corrode your plumbing fixtures.
Sodium and chloride are found naturally in the Earth’s crust. As rainwater moves through natural rock formations underground, it can dissolve salts and carry them into aquifers that serve as sources of drinking water. However, high levels of sodium and chloride are typically caused by contamination from:
In New England, we would expect levels of sodium to be less than 15 mg/L and chloride to be less than 30 mg/L.
Testing for sodium and chloride is the only way to know how much is in your water.
The Health Department recommends testing your private water source for sodium and chloride every five years. You can order an inorganic chemical test (Kit C) from the Health Department Laboratory, or you can use another certified drinking water lab to test for inorganic chemicals.
The drinking water standard for sodium is 250 mg/L (milligrams per liter) and for chloride is 250 mg/L. These standards are called secondary maximum contaminant levels, or SMCLs, because the levels are based on aesthetic (color and taste) reasons rather than health effects.
If you have levels of sodium and chloride above the drinking water standard, your water would likely taste salty and may pose a risk to people who are on sodium-restricted diets. You may consider treatment to improve the taste and appearance of your water.
High levels of sodium and chloride could also mean that you have other problems with your well that could allow other contaminants into your water if not fixed (see treatment options below).
Need help understanding your drinking water test results? Find out how to read your results
Eliminating sources of sodium and chloride is the best way to lower levels in your water. This includes:
Watch a video of common well problems and solutions
It is also important to ensure that any salt-based water softeners are properly maintained and serviced regularly. If your softener is not backwashing, it can leach additional salt into your drinking water. Most conventional water softeners will add small amounts of sodium to the water, but sodium levels above 100 mg/L and chloride levels above 25 mg/L typically indicate a problem.
If you would like to get rid of the salty taste in your water, you can install one of these systems at your kitchen sink:
This program, also known as the On-Site Loan Program, is available to certain Vermont residents for the repair or replacement of failed water supply and on-site wastewater systems. The On-Site Loan Program is funded and administered by the Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation with loan underwriting and servicing provided by the Opportunities Credit Union in Winooski. Your drinking water supply has to be a failed system and you must be living in the residence on a year-round basis to be eligible. The family income cannot exceed 200% of the state median household income. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, call the On-Site Loan Program at 802-461-6051.
The NeighborWorks Alliance is made up of five local organizations offering full affordable housing services for income-eligible individuals. You may qualify for help from this program if you need money to install a water treatment system, drill a well, or repair or replace your septic system. For more information on eligibility, contact the local NeighborWorks Group in your region.
This program offers loans and grants to existing homeowners for well construction, repair and sealing. It's administered by the Rural Development office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program is for low-income families who live in a rural area or a community with a population of 25,000 or less. The family income cannot exceed 50% of the median county income. Individuals who are 62 years of age or older may qualify for a grant or a combination of a loan and a grant. Younger applicants are eligible only for loans.
Burlington, South Burlington, Essex Junction, Winooski and parts of Colchester are ineligible for the program. Even if your property is in an eligible area, your eligibility is still subject to income limits. For more information or to find out if your property is in an eligible area, call the USDA Rural Development Office at 802-828-6022.
The Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SECAP) has partnered with RCAP Solutions (North Eastern Rural Community Assistance Partnership) to provide low-interest loans to construct, refurbish or replace individual water well systems and septic systems for eligible homeowners. Here are the requirements:
• Your residence must be in an eligible rural area, town, or community (defined as geographic area with 50,000 residents or less) in the RCAP Solutions service area of: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• You must own (or provide recorded Lifetime Rights) and occupy the home being improved.
• Your household limit is under the state median income limit.
• New home construction and community water systems are not eligible.
Learn more about the loan program and fill out the form.
Please contact SERCAP staff for further information by phone at 540-345-1184 ext. 159 or email loanfund@sercap.org
