Water is a tasteless odorless vital element in which 90 percent of all organisms depend on to survive. It is one of the best-known ionizing agents and, is frequently called “the universal solvent”. Water combines with certain salts to form hydrates. It reacts with metal oxides to form acids and it also acts as a catalyst in many important chemical reactions. Not only is it essential to our health, but it is also crucial in the household and the industrial world.
Every day we use water for cooking, bathing, cleaning and drinking, but it’s rare that we often think about how the minerals that can be found in it, could change the way we live our lives. The majority of the population seems very reluctant about the knowledge of where the water we use actually originated before it entered our faucets. When understanding the fundamentals of water and it’s minerals, it is crucial to develop a better understanding of the whole process of water and how it is made accessible to us every day of our lives.
According to the Water Quality Association, approximately “15percent of the Canadian population relies on individually owned and operated sources of drinking water, such as wells, cisterns and springs. On the other hand about 80percent of the population receives water from a community system”(1). Household pumps and community water systems a generally used by the majority of consumers. Household pumps are designed to pump ground water for household use, while a community system may use surface water or ground water for its supply.
There are two main sources of water: surface water and groundwater. Surface water can be found in lakes, rivers and reservoirs while ground water lies under the surface of the land. Consumers, who choose to have a private supply of ground water, are solely responsible for the safety of their water. The Water Quality Association states that even though “ private wells aren’t subject to federal regulations, they are still regulated on a very limited basis in some provinces. Local health departments may also assist well owners with periodic testing for bacteria or nitrates”(2).
The Water association makes a point that, “community water systems are required to meet the standards set by the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)”(3). Community water systems must ensure that the drinking water they supply does not have contaminant levels higher than standards of the SDWA amendments, or provincial regulations. The SDWA requires utilities to conduct routine monitoring and testing of public water supply. Two types of sampling are required.
Routine sampling takes place on a regular basis and ensures that a treatment plant is running properly for delivering a consistent quality of drinking water. When a routine sample analysis indicates elevated levels of a particular contaminant that may exceed EPA or provincial standards, they may require systems to take a check sample. Check samples are used to confirm the results of a problem discovered during routine sampling. Whether consumers receive their water from a household well or a community system, they may wish t treat it at its point-of-use (POU).
Even water supplied by a community water system, which meets EPA standards, can benefit from POU treatment. Consumers have the option to choose the higher quality of water that POU technologies can provide. Point-of-use technologies treat water at single or multiple taps or for the whole house, and can improve water quality in a variety of ways. One of the most popular POU technologies is water softening. Hard water is found throughout the world and in about 85% of Canada, according to the geological survey. Hard water areas exist where water has access to rock that contains calcium, magnesium, or a combination of both.
According to the Water Council review, water “ is known to pick up some of everything that it touches, which is why it cleans so effectively. When it comes in contact with minerals, it creates hard water”(4). Hard water is often not an obvious problem to people who have not had the opportunity to compare it to soft water. It is usually difficult to see or taste any difference between soft and hard water. The minerals that make water hard (Calcium and magnesium) are usually tasteless and completely dissolved.
The differences between hard and soft water become more obvious in bathing and cleaning. According to Bill Andresen, of Saskatchewan Water, Hardiness is due to, “the presence of multivalent metal ions which come from minerals dissolved in the water. Hardness is based on the ability of these ions to react with soap to form a precipitate or soap scum”(5). In fresh water the primary ions are calcium and magnesium, however ion and magnesium may also contribute. Carbonate hardness is equal to alkalinity but non-carbonate fraction may include nitrates and chlorides.
