Can the brine in a softener become contaminated?
After 100 years of water softeners not one has ever had a problem.
The reason is that;
- Brine is a good killer of germs and viruses.
- The softener is rinsed thoroughly.
- Any bacteria left would be of the low HPC variety, which are harmless.
Should a major contamination occur in a stagnant water softener and remain in the drinking water, the smell would be so terrible that it would be difficult to drink before it was sufficiently harmful to cause gastroenteritis. To actually kill someone would be virtually impossible.