Hard water is a problem for the majority of households in the United States. What can you do if you live in an area with extremely hard water?
Hard water in the U.S. varies from region to region. Even with a state, there can be different levels of mineral build-up in the water.
All of those minerals and calcium can cause a lot of damage. It’s important to be aware of what the water is like in your area to make sure you’re taking the right precautions to protect your property.
Want to know if your area’s water has a high mineral content? Let’s look at the areas in the U.S. where there’s hard water and learn what you can do about it.
Table of Contents
Hard Water vs. Soft Water
What makes water hard? As we mentioned before, hard water is full of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals.
Some water travels through layers of rocks before reaching our aquifers. During that journey, it picks up all of the minerals that make it harder than waters from lakes and rivers.
Soft water has more sodium than hard water. Too much in the water can be corrosive and make your food taste strange along with other issues.
There are two ways to measure hard water — parts per million and grains per gallon. 70 milligrams of magnesium and calcium PPM is the marker for hard water.
Using grains per gallon, three or four grains is the lower level of hard water. The hardest water has 15 grains per gallon and above.
The damage done by hard water includes mineral deposit build ups in pipes, film on glasses and dishes, issues with your skin from bathing, and more. If this sounds familiar, you might live in an area with high mineral water content.
Hard Water in the U.S.
Now that you know that hard water gets it’s high mineral content from traveling through rocks, you can see why certain areas of the nation have harder water than others. Once you know how hard your water is, you can take steps to soften it.
Soft water is found in the upper north east, parts of North and South Carolina, the upper Pacific Northwest coast, and some areas of the Ozarks. The hardest water is found in Florida, the Mid West, and some areas of the South West and parts of Texas.
For a short term solution, you can use vinegar and rinse aids when cleaning. For more permanent solutions, you can install a water softener and pick up water softener resin Home Depot for your entire home.
Get Rid of Hard Water
As you can see, once you know where there is hard water in the U.S., you can take steps to make sure it doesn’t damage your property. You’ll see a big difference once you tackle this common problem head on.
Want to learn more ways to ensure your home is always beautiful, safe, and clean? We’ve got you covered.
Whether you’re a new homeowner or looking to spruce up your place, check out our other home information articles.
