What is hard water?
Hardness is caused by compounds of calcium and magnesium which occur naturally in water. Those waters with a high concentration of calcium and magnesium are considered to be hard, while those waters with a low content are considered soft. All supplies in our area are considered to be hard, although supplies in the Guildford region are slightly softer.
Hard water is caused by the presence of two naturally occurring elements: calcium and magnesium. Hard water makes it “hard”, or difficult to make a lather with soap. Soft water indicates the relative absence of hardness, and is easy to make a lather. Surface-water facilities are 12.1 ppm (mg/L) Ground-water facilities range from 20 (LaMel) – 73 (CSA3) ppm (mg/L) Classification mg/l or ppm grains/gal Soft 0 – 17.1 0 – 1 Slightly hard 17.1 – 60 1 – 3.5 Moderately hard 60 – 120 3.5 – 7.0 Hard 120 – 180 7.0 – 10.5 Very Hard 180 & over 10.
Hard water is the most common problem found in the average home. Hard water is typically defined as water having more than 1 gpg of dissolved minerals in it, generally consisting of calcium, magnesium carbonate, and/or manganese. The amount of hardness in water is usually measured in either PPM (parts per million) or GPG (grains per gallon).
Water that contains calcium and magnesium is known as “hard”. While many natural water supplies contain a certain amount of these two elements, most supplies range from 51.3 mg/l to 855 mg/l. These substances leave a “film” or scale on surfaces that the water touches. If left untreated, hard water will form lime scaling in pipes, water heaters, boilers, air conditioning systems, etc., causing inefficiency and sometimes even permanent damage. Hard water does not clean as effectively as soft water and can also result in the formation of soap curd that adheres to linen fibres, glassware, dishes, and other products and can leave an itchy or sticky build-up behind.
