Removing hard water stains from a shower door/© Adobe Stock
For many private well owners in the United States, hard water is a common issue that affects the quality of their water supply. Hard water is characterized by high levels of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium ions. These minerals are naturally present in the ground and can seep into well water sources, leading to the formation of hard water.
While hard water is generally safe to drink, it can have several negative effects. One of the most noticeable effects of hard water is its impact on plumbing and appliances. The minerals present in hard water can accumulate in pipes, water heaters, and appliances, leading to clogs and reduced efficiency. Over time, this can result in costly repairs and replacements. Hard water can also have a detrimental effect on skin and hair, leaving you feeling dry and itchy and will leave spots on your dishes, glassware, and showers.
When should I test the hardness of my water?
If you suspect that you have high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium in your well water, you should be it tested. To ensure you are protecting your family’s health, we have developed a set of recommendations for testing that are provided in our article, "What do I need to know about sampling my well water?" , that includes hardness. When testing your well water you will very rarely be testing for only one thing, like hardness, and instead testing for a suite of constituents that are important to identify if in your drinking water.
What treatment should I use on hard water? How do I reduce the hardness of my water?
Once you test and have decided to treat your hard water, the Minnesota Department of Health has developed a Home Water Treatment Guide that covers treatment for any common constituent in well water. The most important advice we can provide you is if you are going to add treatment to your home water system, be sure the treatment device has been certified to remove hardness by an independent third-party certification organization.
Where can I get local help and information about iron in my well water?
Contact your local health department – They can help you interpret your sample results and may have information on the best treatment options for your situation. If they personally aren’t able to answer your questions, they will know who to contact who will be able to help you, likely at your state health department.
Contact a water treatment professional - we would recommend contacting a water treatment professional who has been certified through the Water Quality Association’s Professional Certification Program.
State or Federal Geologic or Water Resource Agency – they may have completed field studies of your area or collected samples from water wells to map and understand the water quality in your state. In addition, they may house water well logs, including yours, or be able to provide additional information about the aquifer your well is getting water from.
Consult your well driller or drilling contractor – the contractor that drilled your well, and other local contractors, may be aware of the water quality issues nearby including hard water, and might have worked with other well owners in your area to solve this issue.
Research online – you should be inquisitive; it will help you significantly because there may be great information available online. Use search terms like “my state (CA, ME, IL, etc.) water well logs”, “my state groundwater quality”, or “my state well water quality”.
Contact us directly – if these other local sources don’t work out for you, we may be able to help. We may be able to provide direct assistance, and/or direct you to a technical assistance provider in your area who can help answer your questions (free service funded by USEPA).
Want to learn more about your private well and how to care for it?
Sign up for the free 10-week email course from PrivateWellClass.org. The class is a project of RCAP and the University of Illinois, with funding from USEPA.
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