Water, with some naturally dissolved solids in it is safe to drink. However, tap water has contaminants and trace chemicals, which makes it taste different and can be rough on your skin and clothes as well. It can also cause damage to your pipes and water heaters. And on the extreme end, it can be hazardous to your health.
In the larger Phoenix area, tap water is notably harder than other areas and contains high amounts of calcium and Magnesium. This is the reason water here has a rather salty or bleachy taste.
How Hard Is Phoenix Water?
Phoenix gets its water primarily from the Salt River Project and the Central Arizona project. The water comes from Salt, Verde and Colorado rivers. A smaller percentage comes from wells and groundwater.
How to know when you have hard water?
- Soft water is known to have less than 1 grain (minerals) per gallon
- Slightly hard water – 1.3 to 3.5 grains per gallon
- Moderately hard water – 3.5 to 7 grains per gallon
- Hard water – 7 to 10.5 grains per gallon
Phoenix water has 12 to 17 grains per gallon. This is classified as very hard water.
Hard water can be safe to drink. However, it can still affect you and your home negatively.
Here’s a few potential consequences of hard water in your household:
- Constant unsightly bathtub rings.
- Soap scum in bathtubs and sinks.
- Decreased foaming abilities of detergents and soaps. This requires you to replenish supplies more often which is costly.
- Your clothes have yellowish hues with soap residue that requires extra effort to rinse out. This wears clothes a lot faster, lowering their lifespan and takes you more time to launder them.
- It clogs home water systems due to build up. This causes increase your plumbing repair and maintenance costs.
- Reduces the efficiency of heaters resulting in higher heating costs. This water allows sedimentation to build up in your water heating system. Over time, your water has to run longer than it should, which means consuming more energy.
- It leaves spots on dishes, glassware, shower doors, and faucets.
- Dry, peeling itchy skin and scalp and difficult to tame hair after taking a bath. Hard water makes it difficult to rinse off soap from your skin and hair. Causing buildup on your hair and dries out your skin.
- Clogged shower heads which restrict water flow.
While the effects of hard water are not hazardous to human health, they are still unpleasant occurrences to live with from day to day. The energy bills are more costly, replacing clothes becomes more frequent, and plumbing costs will get higher over time.
This is what creates the need to invest in a water softening system for your Phoenix home. A water softener will reduce the minerals that harden water and save these you time and dollars.
Which water filtration service is right for you?
Water Softeners, Water Filtration Services, and Whole House Water Filters
The good news is that a water softener system can provide you with some reprieve.
Here is a look at the common water treatments and how they make water safer for Phoenix residents.
City water is often treated with chlorine at the water plant to kill as many microorganisms in your water as possible. Unfortunately, chlorine may pose some harm to your health and not much focus is placed on water softening at the source. A water filtration system, either attached to your taps or whole house filtration systems are designed to filter out the remnant traces of chlorine right before you consume it.
If your water comes from a well on your property, or from the municipality, it is likely to have high mineral content which hardens it. These minerals are calcium, manganese, and magnesium. This form of water filtration and softening works by removing calcium and magnesium ions through an ion exchange process.
Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a water purifier that dissolves ions, like salts, and is a common process for bottled water. In the reverse osmosis process, as water enters the filter, it’s first put through a pre-filter which traps larger particles such as silt and sediment and salt. After that, pressurized water is sent through the RO membrane which will filter out all of the contaminants and impurities, you would rather not have in your drinking water. Once this has all happened, your water will receive a final “scrub” filter and flows to your taps. Reverse Osmosis is one of the best ways to achieve water purification.
Special Cartridges
Once your water has been tested and is found to have these compounds, a special cartridge can be used to filter them out. These are designed specifically for on point use in a single appliance.
These cartridges are filled with resin which binds the dissolved minerals in the water. This action is what softens the water. These can also be used as a reverse osmosis pretreatment to prevent membrane scaling and prolong its life. These cartridges are considered more economical because of their on-point functionality, and can be used on ice makers, refrigerators, espresso machines, and lab equipment.
Conclusion
For Phoenix residents who are bothered by the little annoyances from the state of the water, there is a solution. By choosing a suitable water treatment, you can enjoy soft water, plus all the benefits that come with it: lower electrical bills, fewer unsightly scum stains, as well as great skin and hair.
