A:Answer Hi there, thank you for your question. The dishwasher does not require soft water, but it does have a water softener included. Once your dishwasher arrives, you will find a kit inside to check the hardness level of your water. Once you determine the hardness of your water, refer to the manual to understand how to set the dishwasher water softener to get the best results. If your already have a house water softener system, then you do not need to use the water softener in the dishwasher.