Frequently Asked Questions
12. How hard is my water and should I use a water softener?
Dissolved minerals make water hard; as the amount of minerals in the water increases, the water becomes harder. Two common minerals found dissolved in drinking water are calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. There is usually much more calcium carbonate than magnesium carbonate present in water; therefore, water hardness is reported as the amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolved in the water. There are two units of measurement for hardness commonly used in the United States, grains per gallon and milligrams per liter calcium carbonate (mg/L as CaCO3). The conversion factor is 17.1 mg/L as CaCO3 = 1 grain per gallon. Our water is about 8 grains per gallon or 137 mg/L as CaCO3. Average well water hardness is 55 grains per gallon or 941 mg/L as CaCO3.

Water softening is the process of removing the minerals from the water and is commonly accomplished by either reverse osmosis filtration or ion exchange. Reverse osmosis filtration units can handle only small volumes of water and is usually performed at a single point of use, such as the kitchen sink. Ion exchange units can handle large volumes of water and are usually installed on the incoming water supply line to a property. Ion exchange systems exchange sodium ions for the calcium and magnesium ions in the water. Medical studies show that people who live in areas with hard water have reduced occurrences of cardiovascular illness compared to people who live in areas with soft water. You should consult your physician before making artificially softened water your primary source of drinking water.