Everyone knows the difference between software and hardware or softball and hardball, but some consumers are hard pressed to remember exactly what softened water is, says an engineer in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Both minerals are essential daily nutrients and along with other minerals often give drinking water the fresh taste many consumers want. If calcium and magnesium are at high levels, the minerals will build up on surfaces such as plumbing pipes, eventually plugging them.
Minerals also can damage hot water heaters and make laundry detergents less effective.
Engineers measure water hardness by calculating how much calcium carbonate is dissolved in the water. A measurement of less than 1 grain per gallon or 17 parts per million means that the water supply is soft. Once you determine the hardness level of the water, you either can live with it or treat the water to reduce the mineral content. Water can be softened by a process called ion exchange. Ion exchange works by filtering water through a synthetic or natural sand-like material called resin or zeolite.