Hard Water Exposed

Although falling rain may be slightly acidic due to absorbed carbon dioxide, it will still be naturally soft. Once on the ground however the rainwater will seek its way to the local water table. When flowing through sedimentary rock such as limestone it will pick up calcium and magnesium ions which are the cause of water hardness.

Most people will know if they live in a hard water area. Soap lather is harder to form when compared to soft water. Larger amounts of washing powder are required to produce sufficient soap suds for cleaning, water pipes will become clogged with limescale and scale builds up on heating elements. Hard water in the home is bad enough, but hard water in industrial plants can cause severe and costly damage to equipment that comes into contact with water.

Water that permeates through non-sedimentary rocks such as igneous and metamorphic rock does not become hard as these rocks do not contain calcium or magnesium in sufficient quantities or in the correct state for absorption Hence towns and cities build on these harder rocks tend to enjoy naturally soft water.

It should also be noted that the water supply to a major city might come from many hundreds of miles away and the water may be have been collected and stored in hard water areas even though technically the resident may in fact be located in a soft water area.

Over 80% of homes in the United States suffer from the effects of hard water. The hardest waters are found in Texas, Kansas, Arizona and in the southern regions of California. In the regions near the Great Lakes and Alaska the water is moderately hard. However those in New England, the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii enjoy the softest water.

Just over half the water in the United Kingdom is recorded as hard. The hardest water is generally found in London and the southeast and as you progress north west the water becomes progressively softer with a few exceptions.

Most parts of Canada have moderately hard water due to the large presence of dolomite rock which is readily soluble. However on the west coast, the water is unusually soft as the water is sourced from snowmelt, glaciers and mountain lakes.

The most common and effective way of softening water is by the use of salt based water softeners. These are used for both domestic and commercial water softening. In these units, the untreated water is passed through an ion-exchange resin which replaces the harmful calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions thus making the water soft. After a while the resin becomes depleted of sodium and a needs to be flushed through with a brine solution to replenish the sodium so the unit can continue to soften the water.


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For further information about hard water and its treatment using water softeners and water filters please visit our website www.watercare.co.uk