The Positive And Negative Effects Of Hard Water And The Potential Health Impacts

by Curtis Grossi | Last Updated: March 19, 2024

Hard water is water which contains a moderate amount of calcium and magnesium minerals. Usually, this water is identified because of its pure taste.

Unlike hard water, soft water is treated with sodium which replaces the calcium and the magnesium minerals in the hard water.

Soft water has a salty taste, and this makes it not favorable for drinking. Hard water has its positive and negative sides.

Negative Effects Of Hard Water

Having hard water in your home can cause a lot of harm to your health and your fixtures and appliances.

a) Impact Of Hard Water On Health

Having hard water is both an inconvenience and a health hazard. According to recent studies, drinking water with too many minerals can have specific effects on the health of the person.

The high levels of magnesium and calcium can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It can lead to heart disease and even high blood pressure.

Adults who take too much hard water are also at risk of reproductive failure. This water also causes growth retardation in children.

b) Skin Problems

Bathing with hard water is known to cause skin irritation and dryness. As a result, you find hard or bumpy patches on the skin surface. The high levels of calcium and magnesium prevent the cleansing products from dissolving well in the water.

Also, when clothes are washed with hard water, the minerals enter the fabric and cause it to feel rough. You can install a water softener shower head in your bathroom for your peace of mind.

c) Clogging Of Pipes

Hard water can cause a lot of harm to your home. The minerals in the water will build limescale in your water pipes and all the water-based appliances.

If this happens for some time, the pipes and all the devices will be clogged.

Positive Effects Of Hard Water

Everything with a negative has a positive. The following are the positive impacts of hard water.

a) Promotes General Body Health

As mentioned above, hard water is rich in calcium and magnesium minerals. Taking these minerals is healthy and especially for people suffering from kidney problems. It is known that drinking a lot of water promotes good health.

Hard water contains magnesium which reduces the risk of diabetes and improves the heart condition.

Too much sodium is unhealthy for people who have a restricted dietary intake.

It is advisable for such people to take hard water which has limited levels of sodium.

b) Reduces The Risk Of Cancer

According to a research conducted by world health organization, hard water reduces chances of getting cancer of the rectum.

This is due to the moderate calcium levels in the water. When taken in proper quantities, hard water prevents cardiovascular diseases.

c) Strengthening Of The Bones

High calcium intake helps one to develop healthy bones. The level of calcium in your body determines the strength of your bones.

Adults with strong bones are able to handle challenging tasks without any challenges. They are at a lower risk of suffering from bone breakages.

Bottom Line

Hard water has its good and bad side. There is enough evidence of what hard water can do.

Unlike soft water, hard water does not dissolve other metals like lead which are very dangerous to the human health. Taking this water will keep you safe from severe diseases.

If you want to avoid the negative effects hard water can cause, water softening is the solution. There are many ways of doing that.

You can consider using magnetic-based water treatment, sodium-based water softening or potassium salts.

Curtis is the founder and owner of softeningwater.com. He is the lead guy concerning all the water-softening accessories in this site's guides and reviews. If he is not writing a reviews, guides or any other useful tips, you will find him testing them to find out their suitability. He is passionate about softening water. You will find him extremely helpful and always willing to educate the general populace all there is concerning water and its effects on their health and appliances.