What is Torontos water hardness and how does it affect me?
Toronto’s water hardness is usually between 120 to 125 parts per million (the average for 2005 was 121 milligram/litre or 8.6 grains/imperial gallon). Lake Ontario water is considered ‘moderate’ in terms of water hardness. There are no harmful health effects associated with these minerals (in fact, some believe they are beneficial), but measuring them does provide a guideline as to how water use may be affected. For example, hard water does result in more scale buildup and you need to use more soap and detergents. If you choose a water softener, it’s recommended that a separate, unsoftened supply of water be kept for cooking and drinking.
Toronto’s water hardness is usually between 106 to 127 parts per million (the average for 2009 was 120 milligram/litre or 8.4 grains/imperial gallon). Lake Ontario water is considered ‘moderate’ terms of water hardness. There are no harmful health effects associated with these minerals (in fact, some believe they are beneficial), but measuring them does provide a guideline as to how water use may be affected. For example, hard water does result in more scale buildup and you need to use more soap and detergents. If you choose a water softener, it’s recommended that a separate, unsoftened supply of water be kept for cooking and drinking. Also, when you buy a new appliance, such as a dishwasher, the manufacturer often makes reference to water hardness. This is because hard water can cause automatic dishwashers to leave film on dishes and build-up of minerals on mechanical parts. It may also cause washing machines to leave residue on articles of clothing. If you have this problem, check yo
