How Our Water Softeners Tame Florida Hard Water

What is actually in Central Florida tap water

Florida's drinking water comes largely from the limestone aquifer, and limestone is calcium - which is why Central Florida water runs hard. Hard water is safe to drink, but it scales up water heaters and fixtures, spots the dishes, and dries out skin and hair. Municipal systems also disinfect with chlorine or chloramine, which keeps water safe in the pipes but is the taste most people are trying to filter out. Well water adds its own guests: sulfur smell, iron staining, and whatever the local geology contributes.

The three tools of home water treatment

• Water softener - removes hardness minerals through ion exchange; the fix for scale, spots, and appliance wear
• Carbon filtration - removes chlorine taste and odor; the fix for water that is safe but unpleasant
• Reverse osmosis - polishes drinking water at one tap down to near-bottled purity; the fix for the kitchen

Signs your water is asking for treatment

• White crust on faucets and showerheads, or cloudy glassware out of the dishwasher
• Soap that will not lather and skin that feels dry after every shower
• A chlorine or rotten-egg smell at the tap
• A water heater that pops and rumbles - that is scale flashing to steam inside the tank