subject: Water Softeners - The Best Treatment For Hard Water [print this page] According to the Drinking Water Inspectorate, approximately 60% of USA households do not have soft water. Filled with calcium and magnesium, it stains basins, leaves limescale in kettles and discolours laundry. The National Research Council (NRC) states that drinking hard water does not pose health risks. Although hard water is generally safe for drinking, the NRC recommends more studies to uncover the correlation between other health issues and not soft water.
The hardness of water is a measure of the minerals, usually calcium and magnesium, dissolved in the water. These minerals exist as positively charged ions, or cations. Water picks up these cations from rocks and sediment as it travels through the ground. Water hardness fluctuates by location, because of the different types of rock and sediment that contain a varying amount of minerals. The calcium and magnesium then build up in pipes, washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances. Water that is permanently hard contains chloride or sulfate anions, which do not react with the cations during boiling. Just because the water is classified as permanently hard does not mean that it can't be softened.
Where you live obviously determines what's in your water. Different areas have differing amounts of substances in the water supply..some good, some toxic. Ideally you want a system that removes all of the harmful substances..toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria and leaves in the beneficial elements. Growing up on the farm we had tank water, and when that ran out, we switched to bore water. That was in an area that had clean underground water. It tasted ok but you needed extra soap to wash with. Although non toxic, hard water results in coffee with traces of bitterness. Even people who enjoy a strong cup of coffee still want a rich, bold flavour that is lost with hard-water brewing. Green teas don't fare well at all, losing their delicate flavours. One can double the amount of tea leaves to try to get back the taste. Another way to get back the flavour is to brew these drinks with bottled water. It's an added expense that doesn't solve hard water problems, but it can give you the flavour you want. This kind of water certainly does not cause skin conditions, like eczema, but its effects can cause increased irritation to sensitive skin. Finding relief hasn't been easy for those with skin conditions, but continual medical research can provide a solution to soothe the discomfort of sufferers.
Hard water affects not only the plant life, but also the tools you use to care for your garden. Over time, replacing these items can be costly and frustrating. One solution is water treatment, and a water softener can alleviate this problem.
by: john smith13
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