Water Softener Resin can be regenerated with either potassium chloride or sodium chloride salt. There is a misconception in the marketplace that certain water softeners are specifically designed for use with potassium salt to be more environmentally correct. This is a fallacy. All water softeners using a cation exchange resin can use either salt. Typically it requires about 10% more salt to regenerate with potassium chloride salt when compared to sodium chloride salt. The advantage of potassium salt is that it does not contribute to a high sodium diet and the backwash can be discharges onto a lawn or garden. Sodium chloride salt will kill plants so it must be discharged into a sewer system. USA made resins are made with sulfuric acid to sulfonate the resin versus imported resins that use a solvent based process. Both produce a good resin but the USA made resin won't have the solvent residue on startup that will be experienced with the imported resins. Newer 10% crosslink resins claim to have more resistance to breakdown from chlorine. There is some debate within the industry as to how much extra resin life will be obtained through use of the 10% crosslink water softener resins.