Hard Water and Dissolved Minerals: Hardness, TDS, Conductivity, and Chloride
Four results on your water report all describe the minerals and salts dissolved in your water: hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, and chloride. None of them is a health concern at the levels typically found in well water. They mostly affect scale buildup, taste, and plumbing, and hard water also changes how soap behaves: minerals keep soap from lathering well and leave a film behind. Here’s what each one tells you, and when it’s worth doing something about.HardnessHardness measures dissolved calcium and magnesium, picked up as groundwater moves through rock. These minerals are harmless, and are in fact nutrients we need. The trouble comes when water is heated or evaporates: hard water leaves white scale on fixtures, shortens the life of water heaters, and keeps soap from lathering well.Your report gives hardness two ways: in milligrams per liter (mg/L) and in grains per gallon (gpg). One grain per gallon equals about … Continued
