How to Care for Your Water Softener After a Flood

Heavy rains have brought extensive flooding across Alberta, impacting multiple communities including Calgary, Canmore, Banff, High River, Okotoks, and Medicine Hat, and forcing thousands of people from their homes. As you re-enter your home many precautions are needed to ensure it is safe. Here is some advice about how to care for your water softener:

Power Outage

Several homes lost power during the crisis. The good news with all our softeners is they retain their controller settings without power for up to 6 months. No need to do anything, your WaterBoss water softener and whole-home filtration system will continue to work as set once the power returns.

Flooded basement

If flood water touched the outside of the WaterBoss cabinet only, and did not reach the overflow elbow level in the back, so that no contaminated water entered the cabinet nor touched the valve and controller located in the top part of the cabinet, then the outside of unit can simply be cleaned with soap and water, and the unit can be put back in service.

Submerged water softener and filters

If your water softener or whole-home water treatment system wasentirely submerged in flood water, or if the level of flood water was high enough to enter the cabinet or brine tank, unfortunately there is a strong risk that the unit is contaminated and there is a risk of contamination to the drinking water. The water softener has to be isolated from the water supply and sanitized or replaced. Remove the top cover and turn the dial on the bypass valve to the bypass position. If the bypass valve was also submerged, contact your plumbing contractor to bypass the entire unit.

Municipally-treated water

Watch for boil water advisory from your municipality and follow recommendations on what to do and cautions to take with city water. Following a flood you will likely find your city water to contain higher level of chlorine and may also see suspended solids. Please know that our water softeners will not only soften your water, will also filter sediments in and whole-home water filtration system also has the additional benefit of reducing the objectionable chlorine taste and odour from all your taps, bath and shower.

Well water testing

If you source your water from a well, you may wonder what to do after a flood or how to tell if their well water is affected. It is critical to have a bacteria test done and a complete disinfection of the well may be needed. Most well drillers will know how to do this. Regardless of the type of water treatment equipment, you need to be aware that your water may not be safe, as the contaminants in your well water might have changed following a flood from what they were when your treatment equipment was initially installed. Contact your water treatment specialist for information or contact us to locate your closest WaterBoss dealer.