While many customers purchase Brita pitchers as a solution for their hard water, the reality is that these pitchers aren’t designed to take on that task.  That’s because Brita filters are foremost filters, not softeners. They are only capable of removing temporary hardness like calcium bicarbonate, but can’t make much difference for permanent hardness, like calcium sulfate. Likewise, the minerals that contribute to hardness build up quickly in the filters, meaning that they may leak back into the water unless you change the filter even more than recommended.