Wolverine Water Systems

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Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday 9:00am to 12:00pm Central Michigan 2075 E M78 East Lansing, MI Toll Free: 800-589-8507 Local: 517-339-0722 Western Michigan 1301 Bowes Rd. Lowell, MI 49331 Toll Free: 800-589-6609 Local: 616-987-8110 Common Questions What is hard water? What is soft water? What is iron? What organisms are in water? What is MTBE? What are tannins? What is Arsenic? What is hard water? Hard water is found throughout the world, and in about 85 percent of the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Hard water areas exist where water has access to rock that contains calcium, magnesium, or a combination of both as well as copper, iron or other materials. Water is an excellent solvent. By itself it can dissolve minerals. This action is enhanced by the natural hydrologic cycle. As water falls as rain it absorbs carbon dioxide. This forms a weak acid called carbonic acid. As the water comes into contact with rock, the acid dissolves limestone deposits, carbonate deposits and other minerals. The U.S. Department of the Interior has established levels for the classification of hardness based on the grains per gallon (gpg) concentration of these minerals. To put grains per gallon in perspective, a typical aspirin contains about 5 grains of material. Were this to be dissolved in a gallon of water, it would add 5 gpg of material to the water. Water in the 1 to 3.5 gpg range is considered slightly hard. If the water is in the 3.5 to 7.0 gpg range, it is considered to be moderately hard; hard water being between 7.0 to 10.5 gpg. Very hard water is defined as water with concentrations of dissolved minerals in excess of 10.5 gpg. Water supplies in the United States vary in hardness from 1 to 350 grains per gallon. Why is hard water a problem? Hard water causes problems when it reacts with soaps and detergents to form a "curd" of insoluble material. This makes any cleaning effort more difficult. Cleaning operations such as laundry, bathing, washing dishes, etc take longer and require additional quantities of soap. This curd can even clog pipes and drainage systems. Bathing with hard water results in soap and mineral deposits on the skin. These minerals can clog skin pores which block the bodies natural oils. A "squeaky clean" feel is the sensation produced by rubbing the dried minerals on your hand against the dried minerals on the skin. Bathing in soft water produces skin that feels oily or silky which is the natural feel of skin. Hard water forms scale deposits on all water using appliances. This decreases their efficiency and causes them to wear out quicker. Hard water clogs pipes, particularly hot water pipes, and builds up deposits in water heaters. Hard water causes problems in industrial and commercial processes that require mineral free water. Hard water contains contaminants which may encourage bacterial growth. Back to Top What is Soft Water? Soft Water is water that has had hardness minerals removed. The process of removal will vary depending upon the water conditions. Click here for descriptions of water treatment processes. There are many benefits to soft water.

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