Common Questions: Hard Water Problem, What is Iron?, What organisms are in water?

Common Questions

What is hard water?
What is soft water?
What is iron?
What organisms are in water?
What is MTBE?
What are tannins?
What is Arsenic?

What is hard water?

Hard water is found throughout the world, and in about 85 percent of the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Hard water areas exist where water has access to rock that contains calcium, magnesium, or a combination of both as well as copper, iron or other materials.

Water is an excellent solvent. By itself it can dissolve minerals. This action is enhanced by the natural hydrologic cycle. As water falls as rain it absorbs carbon dioxide. This forms a weak acid called carbonic acid. As the water comes into contact with rock, the acid dissolves limestone deposits, carbonate deposits and other minerals.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has established levels for the classification of hardness based on the grains per gallon (gpg) concentration of these minerals. To put grains per gallon in perspective, a typical aspirin contains about 5 grains of material. Were this to be dissolved in a gallon of water, it would add 5 gpg of material to the water. Water in the 1 to 3.5 gpg range is considered slightly hard. If the water is in the 3.5 to 7.0 gpg range, it is considered to be moderately hard; hard water being between 7.0 to 10.5 gpg. Very hard water is defined as water with concentrations of dissolved minerals in excess of 10.5 gpg. Water supplies in the United States vary in hardness from 1 to 350 grains per gallon.

Why is hard water a problem?

Hard water causes problems when it reacts with soaps and detergents to form a "curd" of insoluble material. This makes any cleaning effort more difficult. Cleaning operations such as laundry, bathing, washing dishes, etc take longer and require additional quantities of soap. This curd can even clog pipes and drainage systems.

Bathing with hard water results in soap and mineral deposits on the skin. These minerals can clog skin pores which block the bodies natural oils. A "squeaky clean" feel is the sensation produced by rubbing the dried minerals on your hand against the dried minerals on the skin. Bathing in soft water produces skin that feels oily or silky which is the natural feel of skin.

Hard water forms scale deposits on all water using appliances. This decreases their efficiency and causes them to wear out quicker.

Hard water clogs pipes, particularly hot water pipes, and builds up deposits in water heaters.

Hard water causes problems in industrial and commercial processes that require mineral free water.

Hard water contains contaminants which may encourage bacterial growth.

What is Soft Water?

Soft Water is water that has had hardness minerals removed. The process of removal will vary depending upon the water conditions. Click here for descriptions of water treatment processes.

There are many benefits to soft water. There are savings from increased efficiency of appliances. Electric water heaters tested on hard water required 21% more Btu's of energy than the same model tested on soft water. Gas water heaters consumed 29% more Btu's of energy. The lifespan of water heaters, other appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and humidifiers are greatly extended.

Cleaning with soft water requires less soaps and detergents. This saves money as well as improving the cleaning process. Soft water does not produce soap curd or leave rings and it rinses clean.

Bathing in soft water produces a sensation of not being able to rinse off all of the soap. Actually once a person has rinsed off, there is no more soap. The slippery feel is the natural feel of skin.

Soft water will not deprive the user of any necessary minerals or nutrients. Trace elements such as iodine or fluoride are not affected by the softening process. Most minerals used by the human body are absorbed through food.

Ion exchange softeners use salt to regenerate. The sodium content of soft water is small, less than is found in most foods. For most people it is of no concern.

Natural hard water contains some degree of sodium. People on salt restrictive diets should determine the sodium content of their hard, untreated water before drinking it. They should restrict their water intake to demineralized water, distilled water or water treated by reverse osmosis.

What is Iron?

Iron is commonly found in water supplies. Over 5% of the Earth's crust is made of iron. Iron that appears in water supplies is usually accompanied by manganese. Even small amounts of iron are enough to stain fixtures, discolor laundry and give water an astringent taste. Commercial and industrial processes are at risk from even small amounts of iron.

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations recommend a maximum of 0.3 milligrams per liter (ppm) of iron and a maximum of 0.05 ppm of manganese.

Various types of iron can be found in water supplies. There are several forms of soluble ferrous iron and ferric iron as well as iron bound up in organic compunds.

Iron bacteria thrive in iron-bearing water and form reddish-brown growths. These growths can reduce flow rates and clog pipes or break free and discolor water. They can commonly be found in toilet flush tanks.

The proper removal of iron will depend upon the type of iron, water source and other contaminants.

What organisms are in water?

Living organisms in water supplies range from viruses, bacteria, germs and larger creatures such as cryptosporidium and gardia. Most wells experiencing problems will be contaminated with E. Coli which is familiar and treatable. City water supplies are generally considered safer due to the use of chlorine. However, notable recent problems in Milwaukee have shown that even municipal water systems can become compromised.

Treatment options will vary depending upon the water source, contaminants, work site and required flow rates.

Treatment options include disinfection systems using chlorine or bromine, ultraviolet light, turbidity filters and ozone systems.

What is MTBE?

MTBE is a chemical added to reformulated gasoline to reduce atmospheric emissions. The EPA mandated that the fuel industry take steps to reduce emissions. The industry had two choices: use MTBE or methanol. Oil companies chose MTBE. It has recently been discovered to have adverse effects on living organisms (CBS 60 Minutes broadcast 1/16/2000). Everywhere that there is gasoline, there is MTBE. If a gas storage tank is leaking, then MTBE is leaking. It has been shown that due to the nature of MTBE, it will travel many times further and faster through soil and aquifers than gasoline. Some cities such as Santa Monica have had to completely shut down all of their wells and rely entirely on water brought into the city. MTBE is difficult to contain and clean up and will be in our environment a long time. It is being phased out through 2003 but is still in production and use. IF YOU SUSPECT MTBE CONTAMINATION OF YOUR WATER SUPPLY HAVE IT TESTED IMMEDIATELY. This may be of special concern if you live near a service station, a school garage or other facility which has gas pumps or live in an industrial area. There are treatment options available.

What are tannins?

Tannins are organic compounds formed by vegetation decomposition. They are usually not harmful but tend to be very unpleasant and are difficult to remove. The treatment method will depend on the category of tannin, either humic acid or fulvic acid. Additional contaminants such as iron or hardness may require additional steps to successfully treat the water.

What is Arsenic?

Click Here for a map of arsenic concentration in Michigan's lower peninsula.