Virginia Tech is launching a study to examine the impact of water softeners on septic systems, the Water Quality Association has announced.

This is familiar territory for Pumper readers. Over the years, the effect of water softeners on septic tanks has been a topic of discussion in stories in our Overheard Online feature, in Pumper Discussion Forum posts and in columns by the Septic System Answer Man Roger Machmeier. In 2006 the WQA and the National Association of Wastewater Transporters formed a Water Softener Task Force to study the effects of softener discharge.

Now a $95,000 study, funded through the Water Quality Research Foundation, will delve into the issue further. According to a press release from the WQA, Virginia Tech researcher John Novak will lead the study, expected to be complete by next summer. The goals are to find out whether various water softener operation patterns might have a negative effect on septic tank performance, and if there are negative impacts, to develop operating guidelines to minimize problems, says the WQA.

So what real-world observations would you share with the research team? What have you seen when you’ve flipped the lid to service tanks connected to a water softener? And what do you tell customers when they ask about adding a water softener in their home?