Differences and Effects on Health

Water hardness is determined by the amount of minerals present. Many people prefer to soften their water using a water softener for skin and hair health benefits.

Water is considered hard based on the amount of calcium and magnesium ions present in it. This mineral buildup can make your soap less effective and lead to limescale buildup in your pipes. Hard water can also dry out skin and hair.

Despite these characteristics, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not set a legal limit or standard for water hardness, mainly because these minerals are not toxic and do not harm health.

However, here are the generally accepted characteristics of water:

• Soft: 0 to 60 milligrams per liter (mg/L) as calcium carbonate
• Moderately difficult: 61-120 mg/L as calcium carbonate
• Hard: 121-180 mg/L as calcium carbonate
• Very hard: more than 180 mg/L in the form of calcium carbonate

Soft water is created by adding salt or potassium via a softener, which replaces sodium ions with calcium and magnesium ions.

Water softening can use a lot of water, up to 10,000 gallons per year. However, newer technologies have attempted to preserve it.

Many homeowners soften water to reduce limescale, use less soap and prevent staining.

However, some communities are concerned that softened water adds more chloride to groundwater and water treatment plants. This additional chloride could potentially affect aquatic life, contaminate lakes, and cause chloride loading in water treatment facilities.

Most people choose to soften their water because of its effects on their skin, appliances, laundry, dishes, faucets and showers. However, drinking hard water can be beneficial in some cases.

How Hard Water Affects Health

Drinking hard water could play a protective role in preventing cardiovascular disease, especially as people consume important minerals like magnesium and calcium. It could even reduce mortality.

That said, some research suggests that bathing in hard water could increase the prevalence of eczema and other skin conditions. Other studies have shown that it can lead to the development of kidney stones, which could be problematic for people with kidney disease or diabetes. However, more research is needed to confirm whether hard water is the root cause.

How fresh water affects health

Research on the health effects of softened water is limited, but some preliminary studies have linked soft water to colon cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, neurological disorders, atrophy, lateral sclerosis, preeclampsia in pregnant women, bone fractures, and bone development in children. However, more research is needed to determine the role of fresh water in these conditions.

Water softeners add sodium to water. There is therefore also concern that softened water may affect blood pressure, particularly in people being treated for high blood pressure. However, research is very limited. That said, the EPA says water softeners can increase sodium levels to more than 300 milligrams per liter in drinking water.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people limit their sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams. This means that one liter (or 33 ounces) of softened water per day potentially represents 13% of your daily sodium intake. If you have heart disease or are being treated for high blood pressure, you should talk to a healthcare professional about drinking softened water.

One of the biggest differences people notice when comparing hard water and soft water is how the two react differently with soap and how they affect the way your hair and skin feel.

How it reacts with soap

Hard water often reacts with most soaps to create soap scum. This insoluble substance can stick to your hands, hair, or shower walls.

When you use hard water, you may have a harder time getting your soap to lather when washing your hands, face, or hair. You may also need to take more time to rinse off the soap. If you normally use hard water, you may feel that using soft water makes your hands and skin slippery. This feeling occurs because soap lathers more easily in soft water and less soap is needed.

Hair and skin

The hardness of your water can also affect your hair and skin. For example, one study found that hard water can increase the incidence of eczema.

Hard water can also cause eczema in children earlier in life and could make it worse for those who already suffer from it. Hard water can disrupt the skin barrier and increase the risk of dry skin (xerosis), causing dry, rough, scaly areas.

Several studies have shown that minerals in hard water can build up on your scalp, causing itching. Hard water can also weaken your hair and make it more prone to breakage. However, there is no evidence that it contributes to hair loss.

Teeth

One study found that water softeners, and particularly reverse osmosis systems, remove 92-99% of beneficial minerals like magnesium, calcium, lead, fluoride and iron.

These minerals are essential for maintaining the mineral density of your teeth and bones. Removing them from your drinking water could increase your risk of osteoporosis and tooth decay.

You can measure the hardness of your water using a test kit or an independent laboratory. You can also contact your community water supplier directly for information on the hardness of your water.

In the United States, most people get their water from a community water system. These systems provide customers with an annual water quality report, also known as a consumer confidence report. You typically receive this report once a year with your water bill.

The report, often released in July, provides information about contaminants in your water and their possible health effects. If you are not receiving a report because you are a tenant and your water is paid for by the building you live in or the landlord, you can contact your water company to obtain this information.

If you get your water from a well, you must have it independently tested. In some communities, your local health department will provide free testing of private wells. To test your water, the EPA suggests using only laboratories certified for drinking water testing. You can search for a state-certified laboratory in your state.

Deciding whether or not to tackle the hard water problem in your home is a personal decision. Some people prefer to soften their water to prevent buildup on their skin, hair, and showers, while others choose to stick with hard water due to concerns about adding sodium to their diet.

Whichever way you lean, it’s important to first determine the hardness of your water. After that, you have several options to consider.

For example, if your biggest concern about hard water is its impact on your skin and hair, but you don’t want to purchase a water softener, you can opt for a shower head filter. These devices help remove impurities from your water and make it softer. You can also keep distilled water on hand to rinse your body and hair.

You can ask the company that supplies your water softener if it is possible to use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride to reduce the salt content of your water. You can also request that only certain areas of the house be softened and that pipes going to the refrigerator, kitchen sink, or outside (where you water plants or wash vehicles) not be softened. If you already have a water softener, you can ask the company that services your water softener to adjust it so that your water is less soft.