Q:  Is all water the same?

A:  No, there are three types of water; raw water, working grade water and drinking water. Raw water usually requires no treatment and is used for such things as watering the lawn. Working grade water should be treated as it runs through the plumbing of your house and water using appliances. Drinking water should be treated as it is consumed and is essential to our lives.

Q:  What is hard water?

A:  According to the U.S. Geologic Survey, 85 percent of the United States has to cope with hard water, which is water with excessive levels of calcium and magnesium. Water, known as the “universal solvent” moves through the ground and dissolves rock containing hardness minerals.
While hard water is not considered to be unhealthy for people to drink, it can be very unhealthy for household plumbing, cleaning processes, and water-using appliances. The phrase "Hard Water" came about because it was found to be very hard to clean with.


Q:  How do I know if I have hard water?

A:  Water's hardness appears as a scale buildup on your water using appliances and fixtures, soap deposits on dishes and fabrics and/or scum rings on your bathtubs, toilets, and sinks.


Q:  What does hard water scale do?

A:  The minerals in hard water gradually settle out forming a hard scale. Scale build up will eventually clog pipes, and can decrease the life of toilet flushing units by 70 percent and water faucets by 40 percent according to a report published by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Hardness scale can also shorten the life of washing equipment, dishwashers, and clothes washers by as much as 30 percent according to the AWWA report. DOWNLOAD BATTELLE STUDY

Scale also tends to form on the heating elements and heat transfer surfaces in these units, which leads to a shortened operational life and reduced efficiency. Reports have shown that a water heater's useful life can be reduced by as much as 50 percent through scale build-up. Hardness minerals also combine with soap, forming an insoluble product, "soap scum or soap curd". This product is what leaves rings in the bathtub, spots on glasses and dishes and leaves clothes grey or yellow.


Q:  What is soft water?

A:  Soft water has the hardness minerals removed and replaced with sodium or potassium as the water passes through a water softener.


Q:  Why do I need to use salt to soften my water?

A:  Water softeners work by passing hard water through a bed of resin beads with soft sodium/potassium ions attached to them. An ion exchange occurs when the water flows through the resin beads. The hard mineral ions (calcium or magnesium) exchange with the sodium or potassium ions. The resin will need to be regenerated after the sodium or potassium is depleted in order to exchange the hard for the soft again.



Q:  Is it true that sodium is added to my water supply?

A:  Yes; Sodium is used to replace the calcium and magnesium hardness minerals.


Q:  How much sodium am I adding to my water with a softener?

A:  It depends on the hardness of your raw water. The following shows how much sodium is added per quart:

Initial Hardness/Sodium Added

• 1 grains per gallon/7.5 milligrams/quart

• 5 grains per gallon/37.5 milligrams/quart

• 10 grains per gallon/75.0 milligrams/quart

• 20 grains per gallon/150 milligrams/quart

• 40 grains per gallon/300 milligrams/quart


Q:  Why does it feel like I can't get the soap off my skin when I bathe with soft water?

A:  The squeaky clean feeling that many people correlate with cleanliness is actually the complete opposite. That feeling typically happens because there is still soap residue on your body that is there because of the reaction calcium and magnesium has with soap. Your skin should actually feel smooth and slippery, the way skin should naturally feel when wet. You'll also notice that you require much less shampoo and soap in soft water as opposed to hard water. Your hair will also be free of soap residue allowing it to be more manageable.


Q:  Won't softener discharge hurt my septic system?

A:  No, this concern was finally put to rest after evaluation by US Environmental Protection Agency. They concluded that water softener discharge caused no problems in the operation of biologic functions of home waste treatment. The additional water generated is added slowly to the wastewater stream and does not cause overload problems.

Q:  Do I have to use salt?

A:  You can use potassium chloride, a salt substitute. It is just as effective as regular salt but adds potassium instead of sodium. Potassium chloride costs between 3 and 4 times the cost of sodium softener salt and requires 15% more to achieve the same capacity.


Q:  What causes my water to smell like rotten eggs?

A:  Sulfur is a naturally occurring contaminant, which gives water that rotten egg odor or taste. There are two forms of sulfurs that can appear in water: hydrogen sulfide gas, and sulfate salt. Sulfur is corrosive and can cause damage to your plumbing but there are no known health concerns

Hydrogen sulfide can also be responsible for tarnished silverware and yellow or black stains on kitchen or bathroom fixtures. Hydrogen sulfide is corrected by an oxidizing method that will remove contaminants from water through a chemical reaction. Aerating is the process of exposing water to pure oxygen. The oxidation process is designed to convert the hydrogen sulfide gas to a solid that can be mechanically removed.

The “Rotten Egg” odor can also be the result of sulfur reducing bacteria. (SRB’s) Although they don’t present a health risk, SRB’s can result in odor, staining, & mechanical problems throughout the plumbing and related appliances. The most common way to treat for SRB’s is with extended exposure to bactericidal levels of chlorine. Particularly different cases may require pH adjustments and contact times in excess of 48 hours.


Q:  Why does my water look clear yet stain my fixtures a rusty orange color?

A:  There are different types of iron found in water that cause different problems. Ferrous iron is clear iron that may have an off taste that will cause rust staining when it has an opportunity to come into contact with oxygen. This type of iron can sometimes be filtered through a water softener. If the iron is above a certain level, a softener will not be able to accommodate excessive levels of iron. This level is determined through a water analysis. Another type of iron found is ferric iron. This type of iron has an orange appearance and sometimes may also be filtered through a water softener if the iron level is not excessive.

A third type of iron staining can result from an iron reducing bacteria. Although not a health concern, iron bacteria can result in staining and mechanical problems with several appliances. This type of contaminant must be eliminated with chlorine or other bactericidal water conditioning technologies.

When dealing with a higher level of iron, an iron filter is required. This piece of equipment is installed prior to the water softener and works independently of the water softener. 


Q:  Do I have to worry about the iron in my water?

A:  It's not unusual to find iron in water supplies since iron makes up about 5% of the earth's crust. As water moves to the water table, it dissolves some of whatever it comes in contact with. If that is iron, some will be present in a water supply. The US Environmental Protection Agency set a Secondary Drinking Water Standard for iron of 0.3 mg/L. Secondary Drinking Water Standards are set up for aesthetic concerns not health concerns. This means at concentrations above the standard it's not dangerous to human health but can cause staining and metallic taste.


Q:  Is my water safe to drink?

A:  Congress signed the Safe Drinking Water Act into law on December 16, 1974. It was designed to protect groundwater from contamination by organic and inorganic chemicals, radionuclides, and microorganisms. On a municipal water supply the water is consistently monitored to ensure that it remains in conformance with all applicable standards. On a private well, the homeowner is responsible for monitoring the water quality. The most common test applied in this situation is a coliform bacteria test. Additional testing could be considered but would typically be case specific. LEARN MORE (SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT)


Q:  What is Reverse Osmosis Water?

A: Reverse Osmosis Water is a highly filtered water. Many of the total dissolved solids, and minerals are removed from the water. The water is prefiltered through a specially designed sediment/carbon block cartridge that removes particles such as silt, rust, and scale down to 5 microns (equal to .0002 inch) along with chlorine, taste, and odors. Next, water is forced through a semipermeable membrane removing many contaminates, reducing them so that the water becomes cleaner. The water then passes slowly through a carbon filter before entering a storage tank. Upon demand, the reverse osmosis water passes through a final carbon filter


Q:  Should I worry about the level of nitrates in my water?

A:  Nitrates are found in well water supplies due to contamination by fertilizers, barnyard runoff, septic tanks and decaying plant debris. The only way to find out if your water contains excessive nitrates is to have your water tested. The EPA set a Primary Drinking Water Standard for nitrate at 10.0 mg/L. Primary Drinking Water Standards protect human health by limiting the level of contaminants in public water supplies and are used as guidelines for private wells. Nitrate concentrations above 10.0 mg/L can be dangerous to infants 6 months and younger. Nitrates can reduce the blood's ability to carry oxygen and cause a condition called "blue baby syndrome". It is advised that pregnant or nursing women not consume water with nitrates above 10.0 mg/L.