DEAR DR. GOTT: I reside in an independent-living complex. When it was built in 2001, they put soft water throughout our water system on both the hot and cold faucets. Could this cause problems such as high blood pressure, neuropathy, dementia and more?

Many of the residents have had to take pills for high blood pressure and were never on them before. Some of these people are over 70 years old. Many of our residents are in the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. It is scary knowing that possibly the salt water in our water system could be causing these problems. A faucet in the basement of our building isn’t connected to the system, so residents go there for a supply. The complex owner says he checked with a doctor who says the amount of salt in the water would not be harmful to us. Do we have a chance of having a real problem here? Should the water be changed?
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