Does the drinking water that comes from your tap taste exceptionally good? Do you find yourself boasting to your bottled water-buying friends that your kitchen sink spews forth the likes of a fresh, pure mountain spring? If so, you may be surprised to learn that there's a good possibility you need sewer line repair.

Why Your Water Tastes So Good

As your drinking water makes its way from its point of origin to your tap, it picks up trace particles of whatever minerals are in the ground it travels through. Among these minerals are magnesium, calcium, and sodium.

Sodium remains dissolved in your water and doesn't pose any risks. Magnesium and calcium, however, can precipitate from the water, which basically means that they can do the opposite of dissolve -- they can take on a solid form. And, when these minerals precipitate, they form a thick crust on the inside of your water pipes. This buildup is known as hard water scale, and it can actually help to filter your water and offset the salty taste of the sodium in it.

What This Means For Your Sewer Line

While hard water may taste great, it has plenty of disadvantages. One slightly aggravating disadvantage is that the minerals that cause hard water make the ingredients in soap less effective. You may have noticed that your hair and skin seem dry or dull or that your laundry comes out of the washer looking dingy or yellowed. 

A much greater concern, though, is the damage that your hard water is doing to your plumbing system. If unsightly stains build up in your toilet bowl no matter how often you clean it, or if your toilet is slow to drain upon flushing, then you can bet that there's already a fair amount of mineral buildup clinging to the sides of your sewer line. If this buildup continues, your sewer line could become totally blocked or, worse yet, it could burst, resulting in a huge mess and a pricey repair bill.

How To Fix The Problem

If you're just realizing that your silver-lining of great-tasting water comes along with the dark cloud of clogged sewer lines, it's time to find out what you can do about it. You have a few options here, but first you must determine the extent of damage your pipes have already sustained.

Contact a sewer line specialist and ask them to come have a look at your pipes. A water softener is capable of removing extensive mineral buildup, but it will take anywhere from 90 days to a year to do so. If the mineral buildup inside your sewer pipe is already pretty thick, you'll risk developing a pipe clog or break in the meantime.

If necessary, your sewer line repair specialist can remove the mineral buildup in your pipes with an industrial-strength caustic cleaning solution before giving you the go-ahead to install a water softener. 

There are 2 types of softeners available on the market. The first kind replaces the damaging calcium and magnesium particles in your water with sodium ions. Since sodium is safe for your pipes, this method of softening water is super effective; however, you'll be sacrificing the taste of your oh-so-delicious tap water. Your next tall glass of aqua will taste a bit salty.

A newer option of water softening relies on a specialized ceramic plate that attracts and neutralizes mineral particles. Since the particles are neutralized instead of removed, there is no need to replace them with sodium ions. As a result, you'll be able to fix your hard water problems without sacrificing the taste of your water.

Great tasting water is not a sign of a healthy plumbing system. In fact, it can be quite the contrary. If you think your tap water is better than most, it's time to contact a sewer line specialist from a site like http://www.lavendersedm.com to make sure that your plumbing isn't in danger.