Hard water with high iron content from my well. Have to use a water softener to make it usable, but you might as well drink ocean water from the salt used to soften, at 8 bucks a bag. So I buy drinking water. But no water and sewer bill.
What Kind Of Water Do You People Have Out There?
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rolls_rapide
Well-known member
My water is supposed to be classed as soft, but I'm not so sure. The kettle does seem to fur up over time, as do the spouts of the taps. And the iron seems to spit out sandy particulates.
Do the water companies make any attempt to add hardness to water? Soft water isn't supposed to be very good for you to drink (high sodium levels), whereas hard water is better.
Do the water companies make any attempt to add hardness to water? Soft water isn't supposed to be very good for you to drink (high sodium levels), whereas hard water is better.
IIRC naturally soft water isn't an issue regarding sodiu
But mechanical or whatever other process is due to nature of how things are done.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...t-answers/water-softeners-sodium/faq-20058469
https://www.culliganmidmissouri.com...reated-water/is-softened-water-safe-to-drink/
Of course naturally soft water contains sodium and other minerals, just not usually to extent of unnatural versions.
But mechanical or whatever other process is due to nature of how things are done.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...t-answers/water-softeners-sodium/faq-20058469
https://www.culliganmidmissouri.com...reated-water/is-softened-water-safe-to-drink/
Of course naturally soft water contains sodium and other minerals, just not usually to extent of unnatural versions.
gusherb
Well-known member
Lake Michigan gives us some of the cleanest tap water to be had. It’s hardness is around 8 gpg which is considered the bottom end of “hard”, but it takes forever for deposits to form on shower heads, around faucets etc. There’s some towns that still use well water and the quality of that is atrocious, around 25 gpg hardness and some places it smells like sulfur. There was a huge push in the 80s-90s to pipe in Lake Michigan water in suburban municipalities because of that.
Well Laundress
I see you're very happy with "our" water from up here. I live very close to two of the reservoirs that are part of the NYC water supply system.
As to our water for our homes here we all have private wells. The water is great. I've never tested ours but hardness is not an issue at all.
I see you're very happy with "our" water from up here. I live very close to two of the reservoirs that are part of the NYC water supply system.
As to our water for our homes here we all have private wells. The water is great. I've never tested ours but hardness is not an issue at all.
I'm just shy of the Lake Michigan watershed, so I'm on municipal well.
We have, like Gus said, 25 freakin' grains per gallon.
I soften my water and it's much much better.
Luckily no iron or sulfur. Our city wells are very clean, just very crunchy.
The soft water is great. I use a fraction of detergents and fabric softener.
When using liquid or powder cascade, the soap cup only has to be filled half way.
Still have to use jet dry, ironically. Otherwise I get salt spots!
However, salt spots wipe off very easily.
And I've had periodic issues with glass etching.
I drink the softened tap water, and I'm not worried about the trace salt amounts.
If I had salt health issues though, I would certainly have to get drinking water delivered in.
We have, like Gus said, 25 freakin' grains per gallon.
I soften my water and it's much much better.
Luckily no iron or sulfur. Our city wells are very clean, just very crunchy.
The soft water is great. I use a fraction of detergents and fabric softener.
When using liquid or powder cascade, the soap cup only has to be filled half way.
Still have to use jet dry, ironically. Otherwise I get salt spots!
However, salt spots wipe off very easily.
And I've had periodic issues with glass etching.
I drink the softened tap water, and I'm not worried about the trace salt amounts.
If I had salt health issues though, I would certainly have to get drinking water delivered in.
It's a mixed bag in the Twin Cities:
If you live in Minneapolis or one of the suburbs supplied by Minneapolis Water works the water is from the Mississippi river and is softened before it gets to you. Minneapolis water tends to be of very good quality and softeners/filters are usually not needed. The water hardness is 4-4.5 grains per gallon
St. Paul water is mostly from the Mississippi with some well water introduced. It is also softened. Living in the range of ST Paul water additional treatment is usually not needed as the water is of good quality. Hardness is comparable to Minneapolis
Water in the suburbs is hit or miss but unless purchased from MPLS or STP is not from the river but from deep wells (700-1200 feet) drilled into the Jordan or Mt. Simon/Hinckley aquafers. While a few cities do soften their water (Eden Prairie is around 4 grains as is Bloomington which also uses about 23% Minneapolis water and Richfield and White Bear are around 6) most water is between 18 and 30 grains so very hard.
Some suburban cities have basic treatment plants(filtration only no lime softening) while others treat raw well water at the source with Chlorine and fluoride and it is sent into the distribution system.
This is why, living in a hard water area, I went with an Ecowater EWS 3500 system. No hard water buildup, no iron build up, less than 1 grain hardness. Made in MN to last 20 plus years.
WK78
If you live in Minneapolis or one of the suburbs supplied by Minneapolis Water works the water is from the Mississippi river and is softened before it gets to you. Minneapolis water tends to be of very good quality and softeners/filters are usually not needed. The water hardness is 4-4.5 grains per gallon
St. Paul water is mostly from the Mississippi with some well water introduced. It is also softened. Living in the range of ST Paul water additional treatment is usually not needed as the water is of good quality. Hardness is comparable to Minneapolis
Water in the suburbs is hit or miss but unless purchased from MPLS or STP is not from the river but from deep wells (700-1200 feet) drilled into the Jordan or Mt. Simon/Hinckley aquafers. While a few cities do soften their water (Eden Prairie is around 4 grains as is Bloomington which also uses about 23% Minneapolis water and Richfield and White Bear are around 6) most water is between 18 and 30 grains so very hard.
Some suburban cities have basic treatment plants(filtration only no lime softening) while others treat raw well water at the source with Chlorine and fluoride and it is sent into the distribution system.
This is why, living in a hard water area, I went with an Ecowater EWS 3500 system. No hard water buildup, no iron build up, less than 1 grain hardness. Made in MN to last 20 plus years.
WK78
Eastern Pines Water out here--comes from wells.In my neighborhood-a few years ago the aging ASBESTOS water pipes were replaced with new PVC and PE ones.Got to watch the whole thing-was interesting-2 horizontal directional drills-several backhoes,A Mighty Mole drill used to bore under driveways without digging them up and a pneumatic mole that goes under streets and yards to run the pipes.Water is fine for me.The new system had to be sterilized with bleach solutions before it could be used and had to pass state and county inspections before put into service.A little of the work had to be redone.Was an interesting project the neighbors also enjoyed.We got free lessons on pipefitting!Also they used a neat pipe fusing machine!Was fun to watch it work!
Our water comes from the Duck River and is moderately hard. When I bought my house the shower head was so caked it would barely spray! All the faucets had the crust on them. I eventually replaced every faucet and now have a water softener. No more crusties on the faucets and barely any detergent needed for washing clothes or dishes (can't even use packs in the dishwasher due to foaming). I used to have to use an acid based cleaner for the shower doors...not anymore. I used to work with a urologist here who says people in our location should never take a calcium supplement because our water is full of it!
woollyaxolotl
Member
Ours runs off of peat moorland and is beautifully soft. Never descaled anything and there’s no end of lather. Family members in East Anglia are at the other end of the scale (pun intended), chalk for days. I do rinse faster in the shower there though!
rolls_rapide
Well-known member
I was ironing earlier today, and I noticed that the iron spat out a few grains of dark sand. I tried crushing them, and they seemed to be composed of brown powder. I'm thinking it must be iron, probably from the elderly mains supply pipes.
What's said to be the best water in the world & what everyone leaving Detroit wishes they could get piped over to their whereabouts where they've moved to, just because they think they have a good everything else!
Heck, just pipe it (most easily, cheaply & realistically) over to a place like Flint...
On the contrary, the place where I seem to be going every year, Israel has, or just tastes the worst... And you NEED to drink water there!
I'm glad to have a water dispenser only fridge that actually, perfectly works! Just wish the filters did not go from a reasonably-priced $30-range to a very well-over $40, and not too many stores carry the kind form refrigerator, either...
What's more my daughter even says the water tastes a bit different, as in not GOOD, to the point of wanting me to replace the filter AGAIN, or even putting in a new reservoir (which is why my mom avoided those kinds of refrigerators with dispensers) neither of which, me insisting that the water & ice (the latter, which she is not as fussy about--and I wish the dispenser didn't get jammed) still tastes the same...
So it's bottled water (putting one occasional vessel of what we already can get better of in the fridge) or water from the sink, for her...
-- Dave
Heck, just pipe it (most easily, cheaply & realistically) over to a place like Flint...
On the contrary, the place where I seem to be going every year, Israel has, or just tastes the worst... And you NEED to drink water there!
I'm glad to have a water dispenser only fridge that actually, perfectly works! Just wish the filters did not go from a reasonably-priced $30-range to a very well-over $40, and not too many stores carry the kind form refrigerator, either...
What's more my daughter even says the water tastes a bit different, as in not GOOD, to the point of wanting me to replace the filter AGAIN, or even putting in a new reservoir (which is why my mom avoided those kinds of refrigerators with dispensers) neither of which, me insisting that the water & ice (the latter, which she is not as fussy about--and I wish the dispenser didn't get jammed) still tastes the same...
So it's bottled water (putting one occasional vessel of what we already can get better of in the fridge) or water from the sink, for her...
-- Dave
I'm on city water that comes from deep groundwater wells in a "Central Groundwater Basin". Hardness in the area was moderate, but has increased in the last 5-8 years. I was just looking at my cities water quality report and it shows zero iron (undetectable) and hardness is listed at 98 parts per million. But I'm not exactly sure what that means. It seems really high from numbers I vaguely remember.
Growing up my parents always a water softener in the house, so we were used to soft water. After living in a couple places without softened water, I installed a water softener myself after buying a house. It was really nice having soft water again.
Time is not the softeners friend it would seem, a few years ago some little part in the bottom of the brine tank failed and my salt storage tank stayed full of water. Then last year the plastic manifold for the connections cracked and I had a leak. Fortunately when I made the plumbing connections for it, I included bypass valves.
I want to replace my softener, as I've been noticing the "signs of hard water", but buying a new softener just isn't in the budget.
Growing up my parents always a water softener in the house, so we were used to soft water. After living in a couple places without softened water, I installed a water softener myself after buying a house. It was really nice having soft water again.
Time is not the softeners friend it would seem, a few years ago some little part in the bottom of the brine tank failed and my salt storage tank stayed full of water. Then last year the plastic manifold for the connections cracked and I had a leak. Fortunately when I made the plumbing connections for it, I included bypass valves.
I want to replace my softener, as I've been noticing the "signs of hard water", but buying a new softener just isn't in the budget.
Dave my fridge has that pop out filter in the bottom too. I found them pretty cheap on ebay...much cheaper than from WP/MT/KA. My fridge water line comes off the under sink water filter so it actually gets filtered twice from the fridge spout.
Water is from Edwards Aquafer down here close to San Antonio Texas, very hard water. In 19 years I've gone through 2 refrigerators, 3 dishwashers, 2 washers, and numerous shower heads. Always use Glacer water from a vendor filling station for drinking and cooking.
Barry
Barry
Those of us in the village get water from municipal wells. The water is moderately hard, so many have softeners. Culligan changes a softener tank weekly, to the tune of $39 per month. I am currently the only apartment (of eight) that chooses to pay for tank exchange. The water isn't brutally hard, but hard enough to affect results in automatic dishwashing and laundry. I don't like the feel of hard water in the shower, either. Having said that, if that $39/month became critical to one's personal finances, I would have to adjust to hard water. Others have, obviously.
vacerator
Well-known member
Lake St. Clair
and or Detroit river. I use a Brita.
My grandmothers water was from the Ohio river, and I thought it tasted terrible.
Every municipality along the river had it's own treatment plant back in those days.
It all tasted funny to me. They all claimed they had the best drinking water in the valley. I got my grand parents a Water Pick filter for Christmas one year, after they could no longer get to the basement where they used to store the bottled spring water they ordered.
Taxes pay for water treatment and sewage treatment.
So whats in the water these days? Seems now we also have plenty of tax revenue for a "space force" military branch. If they build a star ship, I guess that's ok, but I think it's just for anti missile stuff.
Anyway, half a nice day!
Enjoy the sun, cooler, drier weather, or rain if so, and you need it.
and or Detroit river. I use a Brita.
My grandmothers water was from the Ohio river, and I thought it tasted terrible.
Every municipality along the river had it's own treatment plant back in those days.
It all tasted funny to me. They all claimed they had the best drinking water in the valley. I got my grand parents a Water Pick filter for Christmas one year, after they could no longer get to the basement where they used to store the bottled spring water they ordered.
Taxes pay for water treatment and sewage treatment.
So whats in the water these days? Seems now we also have plenty of tax revenue for a "space force" military branch. If they build a star ship, I guess that's ok, but I think it's just for anti missile stuff.
Anyway, half a nice day!
Enjoy the sun, cooler, drier weather, or rain if so, and you need it.
beekeyknee
Well-known member
We here in Missouri and many other parts of the US are cursed with varying degrees of hard water because of porous limestone and sandstone that release calcium, magnesium and chalk. In mountainous parts of the country sometimes the water flows directly over some of these types of rocks and picks up the minerals along the way. Example-Grand Canyon.
On the other hand, there's the parts of the country with granite bedrock, like in the northeast. Water trickles down through organic material, hits granite, moves horizontally from the Adirondacks toward a low spots and makes a lake/reservoir, we connect them up and New York gets that lovely water.
Municipalities soften water to a usable level if necessary. Really hard water won't clean anything. It's just grey. To make the water completely soft would be extremely expensive, so if home owners want completely soft water, they have to invest in a water softener themselves. They have improved in the last few years. Ours constantly monitors the softness of the water and only regenerates when it's call for, saving on salt and water. Ours is set at zero grains of hardness (no minerals). I love it. Clothes come out cleaner without so much laundry additives, it tastes better and it's nicer on skin. No tacky feeling.
I found out the hard way a few years ago that softened water shortens the life of the anode rod in the water heater.
water.usgs.gov
On the other hand, there's the parts of the country with granite bedrock, like in the northeast. Water trickles down through organic material, hits granite, moves horizontally from the Adirondacks toward a low spots and makes a lake/reservoir, we connect them up and New York gets that lovely water.
Municipalities soften water to a usable level if necessary. Really hard water won't clean anything. It's just grey. To make the water completely soft would be extremely expensive, so if home owners want completely soft water, they have to invest in a water softener themselves. They have improved in the last few years. Ours constantly monitors the softness of the water and only regenerates when it's call for, saving on salt and water. Ours is set at zero grains of hardness (no minerals). I love it. Clothes come out cleaner without so much laundry additives, it tastes better and it's nicer on skin. No tacky feeling.
I found out the hard way a few years ago that softened water shortens the life of the anode rod in the water heater.
Water Properties Information by Topic
Looking at water, you might think that it's the most simple thing around. Pure water is practically colorless, odorless, and tasteless. But it's not at all simple and plain and it is vital for all life on Earth. Where there is water there is life, and where water is scarce, life has to struggle...
beekeyknee
Well-known member
A Look at Hard Water Across the USA - HomeWater101
Only 15% of the United States has naturally occurring soft water. The other 85% has to fight the daily battle with hard water. Learn more about the impact.
homewater101.com
gusherb
Well-known member
I just looked up the town where my sister used to live - Durango Colorado, and their water hardness is between 3.74-6.94 gpg. They get it from the Animas River, Florida River, and two different reservoirs.
All their water is from snow melt and rain runoff so starts off very soft and picks up minerals from the rocky rivers etc. I always expected it to be a lot harder than that but knew something was up when I never saw any real deposit buildup around faucets and shower heads.
All their water is from snow melt and rain runoff so starts off very soft and picks up minerals from the rocky rivers etc. I always expected it to be a lot harder than that but knew something was up when I never saw any real deposit buildup around faucets and shower heads.
