What is water hardness?
Water hardness is related to the amount of calcium, magnesium, or iron minerals in the water. The more of these minerals present in the water, the harder the water. Manhattan’s water is considered moderately hard. It contains between 5 and 9 grains per gallon (or about 86 to 154 ppm) of hardness. The City of Manhattan softens the water to make it more palatable and to reduce the amount of soap and detergents used by customers. Water hardness of the City’s finished water does not stay constant but varies daily depending on the blend mix from the 16 public water supply wells and the treatment process.
Water ‘hardness’ is caused by the minerals calcium and magnesium in ground and surface water. If either or both minerals are present in your drinking water in high concentrations, the water is considered ‘hard.’ These minerals come from sedimentary rock such as limestone that dissolves into our water.
