Kinetico Residential Division - Learn About Water Hard Water Studies indicate that 85 percent of American homes are supplied with hard water, no matter if they rely on city water or a well. Hard water costs you money, causes soap scum and scale, and reduces the efficiency of water-using appliances. Learn more about water hardness and how to correct it. Results from the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that 85 percent of American homes are supplied with hard water.
Hard water contains dissolved calcium and magnesium ions.
Whether it's from a well or a municipal water utility, water usually contains these troublesome elements. As water falls from the sky in its various forms, it absorbs carbon dioxide in the air and becomes slightly acidic. Water in this weak acid state reaches and enters the ground. Since it is acidic, it absorbs calcium and magnesium, among other things, from the layers of rock through which it passes. The minerals neutralize the water's acidity but also make it hard.