Even clean water from your home could be adding to the current woes in area lakes and streams. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, older models of water softeners are beginning to be removed from homes because they use more salt, which means an increase in chloride production. University of Minnesota researchers point to wastewater treatment plants and residential septic systems for being the third and fifth biggest culprit of dumping chloride into waterways, which can be detrimental to fish and other aquatic life. Jim Simonar of Lemens WaterCare in Luxemburg says while newer technologies may not be in everybody’s budget, water treatment professionals can make adjustments to make your current system work better.

Simonar says homeowners can expect their water softeners to last 20 to 25 years depending on their usage.