Soap suds cannot be produced in hard water until the dissolved minerals have been combined with the soap. The minerals that combine with soap remain as an insoluble residue - the familiar bathtub ring. In addition, when hard water is heated, it will deposit a hard scale on cookware, plumbing fixtures, and the inside of pipes. There is no evidence that hardness in water has any effect on human health. Rather, its ability to consume soap and leave scale on fixtures and appliances are economic concerns.
Water softening is the most common form of water treatment for hardness.
Iron bacteria do not cause disease and do not render the water undrinkable. However, they are a nuisance aesthetically, and if they become too numerous, may cause the well screen, pump inlet or aquifer pores to become plugged. Iron bacteria are difficult to totally eliminate, but can be controlled by routine well disinfection.