Hard Water & Other Plumbing Impurities

Did you know that perfectly pure water doesn’t actually exist?  Even as it condenses in a rain cloud and falls to earth, water absorbs carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere and picks up minute particles of soot and dust.  Other foreign ingredients are added after the rain begins to percolate through the soil.  The water gathers up particles of dirt, dissolves a variety of minerals, creates new compounds by chemical reaction with soil and rock and becomes the home of colonies of bacteria.

By the time the water completes its circuitous journey to your tap, most of the impurities should have been removed at the local water plant, but unfortunately such is not always the case.  Millions of Americans depend on their own wells for their water needs, and thus must provide their own equipment to remove any impurities, including:

Hard water. This problem–the most common of all–occurs to some 80 percent of the water in the United States and Canada and is almost as common in municipal water as it is in well water.  It is caused mainly by dissolved compounds of calcium and magnesium, which form a scaly build-up in water pipes, washing machines, water heaters and faucets, and can eventually block them and reduce their efficiency.  The minerals also interfere with the action of most hand soaps, some shampoos and, to some extent, even modern laundry detergents.

Iron. Dissolved iron compounds are most common in thewell water of the Midwest and Florida although they can also be found in other areas.  They leave rusty deposits on everything they touch–sinks, dishes, clothes washers and even the clothes themselves.

Corrosive water. When substantial amounts of carbon dioxide are absorbed in water, chemical reactions create carbonic acid.  This compound slowly eats away pipes, fittings and appliances.  The condition is most common in the East and in the Pacific Northwest.

Sulfur water. Dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas gives the water the unpleasant smell associated with rotten eggs.  Sulfur water also tarnishes silver and can give tap water a blackish tinge.  It can occur anywhere, but is most common in the Southwest and Midwest.

Cloudy or discolored water. This problem occurs mostly in water drawn from lakes and rivers, or wells in heavily vegetated lowland areas.  It is caused by suspended particles–either silt, algae or organic material–which affect the taste and appearance of the water and can also clog or damage valves, washing-machine parts and faucets.

Contaminated water. Water that is polluted with disease-producing bacteria or viruses is not common in either well water or utility-supplied water–but it can occur.  Despite federal, state and local laws, treatment plants do not always remove enough germs from the water, and testing is sometimes inadequate.  The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that hundreds of community water supply systems provide water that is potentially dangerous to drink.  Water from private wells is even more susceptible to accidental contamination.