What makes water hard?
The words “hard water” describe water that contains calcium and magnesium, the hardness minerals. Rain water begins as soft water, free of these minerals. As rain water passes over and through the earth, flowing into lakes, rivers, streams and ground water, it absorbs the hardness minerals. While these minerals aren’t harmful to your health, they do affect the properties of water and its effectiveness for washing and cleaning.
If substantial amounts of either calcium or magnesium, both non-toxic minerals, are present in drinking water, the water is said to be “hard”. Hard water does not dissolve soap readily, so making a lather for washing or cleaning is difficult. Conversely, water containing little amounts of calcium or magnesium is called “soft” water.
Acid in rain Most people have heard of acid rain produced by absorption of sulphur and nitrogen oxides by rainfall; however, the presence of pollutants like these gases is not the only source of acidity. Carbon dioxide constitutes 0.3% of the Earth’s atmosphere, and is readily absorbed by water to form carbonic acid – the acid found in carbonated beverages. Therefore, all rain is acidic to some extent, and has a strong tendency to dissolve minerals and rocks with which it comes into contact.
Hard water is water that contains calcium and magnesium, the hardness minerals. Rain water begins as soft water, free of these minerals. As rain water passes over and through the earth, flowing into lakes, rivers, streams and ground water, it absorbs the hardness minerals. While these minerals aren’t harmful to your health, they do affect the properties of water and its effectiveness for washing and cleaning.
