Is Hard Water Bad for You? How Hard Water Affects Us

Have you ever heard of soft or hard water and wondered what the difference is? Hard water contains certain minerals that can impact our homes and our bodies. As a water conditioning and purification company, we help residents near Hudson, Wisconsin with all sorts of water-related issues, so we know a thing or two about hard water.

Here is a quick overview of hard water and its effects.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water pertains to the number of minerals found in your drinking water. Since groundwater originates well below the surface, porous rock containing minerals like calcium and magnesium dissolves in the water, attributing to the “hardness.”

Iron, potassium, and other minerals may also be present in the Hudson and Twin Cities area water systems. While some minerals in your drinking water may prove beneficial to individual health, other times, hard water has the potential for adverse effects.

Hard Water Can Be Costly

If you test your water and find out it’s hard, chances are your house could have some costly issues to address. Hard water can lead to limescale buildup, causing corrosion in your plumbing and other appliances such as your hot water heater and even your coffee maker.

This buildup can lead to poor water pressure resulting in leaking and even bursting pipes. This magnitude of plumbing issues could cost you upwards of $1,500 in some cases. So if you want to lessen the risk of costly household problems, consider fitting your home with a water filtration system.

Hard Water Affects Skin and Hair

The minerals in hard water will cling to your soap, body wash, and other cleaning products. Not only does this cause a soap scum build-up in your sinks and showers, but it can also affect your skin.

Since hard water binds with cleaning products, you will be left with a thin film of your shampoo and body wash on your skin and hair, resulting in dryness and irritation. The pH balance of your skin may also be afflicted, exposing it to harmful bacterial infections.

Hard Water and Increased Cancer Risk

We have been using wells to harvest groundwater for 8,000 years. It’s not until recently we’ve known the effects this water has on our organs.

Along with stunted growth in children and reproductive issues in adults, hard water may also contain carcinogens and arsenic – harmful elements known to cause colon, ovarian, and gastric cancers.