Sodium in Groundwater
Sodium is often naturally found in
groundwater.
What is sodium?
Sodium is a highly
soluble chemical element with the symbol “Na.”
In water, sodium has no smell but it can be
tasted by most people at concentrations of 200 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or
more.
Within British Columbia the ambient
concentration of sodium in groundwater ranges from a few mg/L to over 100 mg/L.
High concentrations of sodium in groundwater
occur naturally in some areas.
For example, on the Gulf Islands sodium
levels have been shown to range up to thousands of mg/L depending upon the
location and depth of the well.
An increase in sodium in groundwater above
ambient or natural levels may indicate pollution from point or non-point
sources or salt water intrusion.
The Canadian drinking water quality objective
for sodium is an Aesthetic Objective (AO) of 200 mg/L.
What are the known sources of sodium?
All groundwater
contains some sodium because most rocks and soils contain sodium compounds from
which sodium is easily dissolved.
The most common sources of elevated sodium
levels in groundwater are:
• Erosion
of salt deposits and sodium bearing rock minerals
• Naturally
occurring brackish water of some aquifers
• Salt
water intrusion into wells in coastal areas
• Infiltration
of surface water contaminated by road salt
• Irrigation
and precipitation leaching through soils high in sodium
• Groundwater
pollution by sewage effluent
• Infiltration
of leachate from landfills or industrial sites.
What are the environmental health concerns?
Sodium is a principal
chemical in bodily fluids.
Sodium is not considered harmful at normal
levels of intake from combined food and drinking water sources.
However, increased intake of sodium in
drinking water may be problematic for people with hypertension, heart disease or
kidney problems that require them to follow a low sodium diet.
Individuals on sodium restricted diets may
want to discuss concerns related to sodium intake from drinking water with
their doctor.
What can well owners and water suppliers do
about sodium contamination of well water?
Sodium is not removed
by pitcher-type filtration units or boiling, which may in fact concentrate it
further.
Water treatment methods such as distillation,
or reverse osmosis are the only effective methods of sodium removal, though
these may be expensive for use in small water systems.
High sodium concentrations may be discovered
more easily than other water quality concerns due to the taste of sodium
chloride and sodium sulphate in water at levels above the drinking water guidelines.
Proper well site selection and construction
is critical to prevent contamination of wells with sodium from surface sources
such as irrigation, or sewage discharges.
Proper handling, storage and use of road salt
will also minimize groundwater contamination.
Water conservation measures, particularly in
summer months when groundwater recharge is lowest, may reduce the risk of salt
water intrusion in coastal areas.
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