Why Do Some Homes Have Harder Water Than Others?

You deep-cleaned the shower over the weekend, and mineral deposits are already building up on your grout. Perhaps your clothes feel stiff after you wash them, or your skin is drier with every handwashing. These are signs you might have hard water.

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What Is Hard Water?

Hard water is a term that describes water with a high mineral content. How hard water is depends on the amount of certain minerals found in it:

• 0 to 60 mg/L is considered soft water

• 61 to 120 mg/L is considered moderately hard water

• 121 to 180 mg/L is considered hard

• More than 180 mg/L is considered very hard

The mineral content of hard water impacts chemical reactions and how the water feels and behaves. Signs you might have hard water include:

• Soap doesn't lather well. Calcium and magnesium particles in hard water bind with particles in soap, creating the substance you might know as soap scum. This chemical reaction inhibits lather production, which can limit soap functionality.

• You get buildup on sink, shower and tub components. Trace minerals in hard water are left behind as water flows in and out of your fixtures. Eventually, those traces add up to visible white, crusty buildup.

• You get dry or itchy skin. The same mineral deposits can occur on your skin, leading to an imbalance of natural oils. This buildup can also make your skin feel rough.

• Your clean dishes are often spotty. During washing, dissolved minerals in water can stay on dishes, creating small white spots once everything is dry.

What Causes Hard Water?

Hard water is caused by:

• Excess calcium in water. The most common cause of hard water is excess calcium, which can come from limestone groundwater or gypsum in water.

• Excess magnesium in water. The second most common contributor to hard water, magnesium often appears in water that runs through or near dolomite.

• Excess iron in water. Iron and other metals, such as manganese, can also cause hard water, though this is less common.

Why Do Some Areas of the Country Have Harder Water Than Others?

Geology is the main reason some areas of the country have harder water than others. Regions with more calcium and magnesium mineral deposits naturally have more of these components in water supplies.

Other reasons water hardness varies by region include:

• The rock water travels through. When water travels through granite, the rock material helps filter out minerals. Granite doesn't dissolve easily, so it doesn't contribute a lot of minerals to the water. In contrast, water that travels primarily through limestone or chalk doesn't receive the same filter treatment and, instead, may pick up more minerals from the softer rock.

• Varying rainfall totals. In arid regions, less rainfall means less water to dilute mineral content.

• Groundwater versus surface water. Regions that rely primarily on groundwater sourced by wells may have harder water than those that rely on surface water like lakes, as groundwater sits in the rock longer.

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What Areas of the Country Have the Hardest Water?

In general, the hardest water is found in the Southwest, the Rocky Mountain states, parts of the Midwest and in areas around the Great Lakes. These areas tend to have some combination of rich mineral deposits, arid climates and landscapes filled with limestone, chalk or gypsum.

Metro areas with some of the hardest water include:

• Indianapolis

• Phoenix

• San Antonio

• Minneapolis

• Las Vegas

What Areas of the Country Have the Softest Water?

The Pacific Northwest, the Southeast, the Appalachian Mountain states and the Northeast have softer water in general. A combination of granite, lack of mineral deposits, and/or wet climates contributes to softer water in these areas.

Areas with the softest water are Maine, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.

What Can You Do About Hard Water?

While some areas of the country are known for softer or harder water, you can have hard water in your home in almost any region. In fact, around 85% of homes in the country have some level of hard water.

You can take per-task measures to counteract hard water, like adding baking soda when doing laundry to help neutralize minerals. Or, you can address hard water at the tap or your home's water supply. Common options include:

• Water softeners. These devices remove minerals in water through a salt-based ionic process. The calcium and magnesium ions in water bond to the salt ions in the water softener.

• Reverse osmosis. RO filters remove most minerals, including calcium and magnesium, from water.

• Water conditioners. These systems modify the minerals chemically, reducing their ability to build up on surfaces without taking them out of the water completely.