Hard water comes from the Florida aquifers and other underground sources that collect dissolved minerals from rock, particularly calcium, magnesium carbonate, and manganese. These minerals are then introduced into our water system, giving water the undesirable characteristics that collectively are dubbed “hardness.”

Hard water is less an issue of health than of potential expense. Unfortunately, many of the problems created by hard water stay hidden until some type of malfunction occurs in your home’s plumbing system or in a water-using appliance.

For example, when heated, dissolved hard-water minerals recrystallize and form scale that eventually clogs plumbing. This scale and lime deposits also take their toll on water-heating appliances such as dishwashers and coffee makers, increasing the need for repairs.

When you bathe, cook, do laundry, and clean house, the calcium and magnesium in hard water react with soaps, shampoos, cleansers, and detergents, reducing their lather and inhibiting their cleaning ability so that you have to use more and rinse longer.

We’ve all seen the annoying scum on tile, struggled with a  difficult-to-clean bathtub ring, and thrown our hands up at spotted dishes coming out of the dishwasher. 

And even though hard water does not pose a serious health risk, studies have shown that those who have hard water are more prone to rashes and skin problems, as it changes the skin’s pH and causes soap to remain on the skin, clogging pores.