Water Hardness – 9 Facts You Must Know

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Water hardness is a measure of the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals in water and is a term used to describe the level of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions, present in water.

Water hardness is typically measured in terms of the concentration of calcium carbonate in the water, expressed in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L). The higher the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions in the water, the harder the water is considered to be.

The 9 interesting pieces of information about water hardness:

1. Hard water has no known adverse health effects, WHO says at its Geneva Conference.
   
2. Contrary to popular belief, In most large-scale studies, an inverse relationship between the hardness of drinking water and cardiovascular disease has been reported. (Source: WHO Document – ‘Hardness in Drinking Water’)
   
3. Hard water causes scale build-up in pipes, appliances, and fixtures, which can reduce their efficiency and lifespan. The dishwasher, washing machine, geyser, and plumbing fixtures required more maintenance and early replacement than usual with the use of hard water.
   
   Hard water reduces the efficiency of hot water systems, requiring more energy to heat the same amount of water to the desired temperature.
   
   Hard water causes skin irritation, particularly for people with sensitive skin. Hard water causes staining of clothing, fixtures, and appliances due to the build-up of minerals.
   
4. Hard water reduces the effectiveness of soaps and detergents, requiring higher doses to achieve the same level of cleaning. Hard water also leads to increased water usage due to the need to use more soap and detergent, which can contribute to water waste.
5. In industrial settings, hard water causes scale build-up in equipment and reduces efficiency, leading to increased maintenance costs and downtime.
   
6. Water containing calcium carbonate at concentrations below 60 mg/l or ppm is generally considered soft; 60–120 mg/l or ppm moderately hard; 120–180 mg/l or ppm hard; and more than 180 mg/l or ppm very hard (McGowan, 2000).
7. Water hardness varies with location and water source. In general, groundwater sources are more likely to have higher levels of dissolved minerals than surface water sources. That is the reason borewell water is much harder than river water.
   
   It also means that the hardness of water will keep increasing with the depth of your borewell. A 400 feet borewell water will have significantly higher hardness than a 200 feet borewell water.
   
8. The hardness of water varies seasonally depending on factors such as precipitation, temperature, and vegetation. Due to runoff during the rainy season, you will get harder water than in the winter or summer season. Runoff from industrial and agricultural activities can introduce minerals into water sources, leading to increased water hardness.
9. Hard water reduces the efficiency of hot water systems, requiring more energy to heat the same amount of water to the desired temperature.

While drinking water hardness is in fact good for our health yet has adverse effects on household appliances & fixtures, on the washing quality of our laundry, as well as on our skin & hair.

A water softener can be a cost-effective & efficient solution to remove the hardness from your water.

We hope you have enjoyed these facts about hard water. Hard water causes a lot of problems, we have summarized 6 Major Problems Caused by Hard Water for you!