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Water Hardness
Hardness levels
The hardness of any water is dependant on the geology of the source. The majority of our water originates from chalk aquifers where it dissolves up natural minerals, such as calcium carbonate - chalk hardness or lime scale.
On boiling your water you may notice that this calcium carbonate is deposited in the form of scale which will appear inside your kettle. Also very small crystals can form a scum on top of hot drinks, such as tea and coffee.
The majority of our water supply would be classified as "moderately hard" (on a scale of 1 to 10 this would be 7). This relates to a Total Hardness level of 270 mg/l as Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). This is equivalent to:
| PPM (parts per million) |
Clarke Degrees | French Degrees | German Degrees |
| 270 | 19 | 27 | 15 |
Suppliers north of Ringwood receive a slightly higher hardness level of 320 mg/l as CaCO3. This is equivalent to:
| PPM (parts per million) |
Clarke Degrees | French Degrees | German Degrees |
| 320 | 22 | 32 | 18 |
Customers unhappy with the hardness of the water may wish to consider some form of treatment, such as: jug filters, softeners or conditioners. However all these systems have their pro's and con's.
Jug Filters
Jug filters are jugs that have a replaceable cartridge housed in a unit that fits on top. There are two types of cartridge available one that has an activated carbon media designed to remove chlorine and organics, and one that has an ion exchange resin media designed to soften the water.
The carbon cartridges don't chemically alter the nature of the water but simply absorb things like the chlorine. Occasionally, black deposits can be dislodged from these cartridges which some customers mistakenly believe have come from their water supply.
The ion exchange softening cartridges chemically remove the calcium and magnesium salts in the water and replaces them with sodium. For this reason it is advised that customers do not use this water for drinking if they are on low sodium diets. It is also advised not to use this water for making up infant feeds. Some orange/white particles can be dislodged from these cartridges which some customers mistakenly believe have come from their water supply.
It is important with both types of filter that customers maintain the filters in accordance with manufactures instructions. Dirty filters can cause a build up of particles and encourage bacterial growth thereby contaminating the water. Also Filtered water should be drunk soon after pouring as water with the chlorine removed has no protection against bacteriological growth.
Water Softeners
These are plumbed in devices that use salt for re-generation. They soften the water by removing the hardness salts (calcium and magnesium) and replace them with sodium. It is strongly advised that when such a softener is installed, a separate tap supplying un-softened water is retained for drinking purposes. Softened water can contain elevated levels of sodium which is not recommended for people on a low sodium diet or used for making infant feeds. It has also been suggested that people who consume softened water suffer a higher incidence of heart disease.
It should also be noted that softened water is a lot more aggressive towards metal fittings. Customers may experience higher corrosion of pipework and if a softening system is fitted to an older system once the protective hardness layer has been removed there is a greater vulnerability to pinhole leaking.
Water Conditioners
These are electronic devices that are attached to the outside of water pipes. They do not alter the chemical composition of water. They work by imparting some form of electric/magnetic influence on the water as it passes and in theory this changes the crystalline structure of the hardness salts. Normally the harnessed salts form a hard lime scale. However with this system a softer non stick scale is formed which does not build up. Despite manufactures claims it has not been possible to find a unit that works in all circumstances. If a customer feels the need to try one of these units we would advise using a manufacturer that offers a full refund after a reasonable trial period if the customer is not fully satisfied.
