Beyond water softeners: The origins of water problems

Beyond water softeners: The origins of water problems

Water is an indestructible resource; there is as much water on earth and in the skies today as existed 5,000 years ago.  However, clean water is a precious resource fundamental to life as we know it.

While our water supply remains constant, we are polluting it faster than nature can clean it.  And, we are polluting it with more contaminants than ever before.

The hydrological cycle

Nature purifies water through a process known as the hydrological cycle.  In this process, water evaporates from lakes, streams and other surface water rising to the sky as vapour.  In this vapour state, water is in its purest form with all contaminants left behind.

When enough vapour has joined together in the form of clouds, it falls to the earth as rain, snow, or other precipitation.  This pure moisture begins to collect impurities from the air on its journey down.  When it reaches the ground, it continues to collect everything from minerals to pesticides.  Because of this ability to collect or absorb other substances, water is often referred to as nature’s solvent.

Natural water problems

The ‘path’ that water takes to enter a home determines the types of problems it can have.

Water passing through shale, limestone and other soft rocks will dissolve and carry calcium and magnesium from those rocks into the home, causing hard water problems.

Water passing through granite, marble and other hard rocks cannot dissolve or absorb anything: it remains ‘hungry’ or acidic as it enters the home, and begins dissolving or eating away at pipes and chrome plumbing fixtures.

Water passing through iron-bearing rock will collect iron, causing rust stains and other iron-related problems in the home.

Water also collects tastes and odours as it passes through decaying vegetation, gases, minerals, and organic material beneath the earth’s surface.

Man-made water problems

In addition to natural contaminants, water absorbs man-made contaminants that cause significant water problems.

Modern society has made many scientific advances, but in the process has also created many new by-products and contaminants.  Thousands of chemicals and compounds have been invented in recent years, but effective methods for disposing of them after use have not kept pace.

Petrochemical spills and leaks from decades ago have seeped into the underground water supply.  Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers are washed by rainwater into streams, rivers, lakes and wells.

Identifying common water problems

Public water authorities ensure we receive good quality water in our homes.  However, they can’t tackle all of our water problems.

Hard Water

It’s easy to spot; it leaves a bathtub ring made up of hardness minerals and soap.  This scum will also collect on shower walls, clings to hair, clogs skin pores and makes house cleaning difficult.  Hard water deposits can also clog pipes, cause water heaters to operate inefficiently, and increase maintenance on water-dependent appliances.

Hard water has been created when water passes through rock formations and picks up calcium and magnesium.  About 60% of homes in the UK suffer from hard water.  Hard water can be found in central, eastern and southern areas of England.

Water hardness can be corrected by the use of a domestic water softener.  The hard water passes through a tank containing resin beads holding ‘soft’ sodium ions.  The ‘hard’ calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged for sodium ions, thus softening the water.  When the beads have trapped all the hardness they are able to hold, the unit is recharged with salt brine to replace the hardness ions with sodium ions. The water softener is then ready to soften water again.

Taste and Odour

Tastes and odours in water do not normally cause physical problems in the home but can be very objectionable.

Tastes and odours are caused by many things including chlorine.  Common tastes and odours can be easily treated by a filter containing activated carbon.  The carbon absorbs the tastes and odours.  Minor problems can be treated by a single tap filter.

For help choosing a water softener, please give us a call or use our live chat system found to the right of the page.