Less Hard is Not Soft

Recently, in Ft. Wayne, IN, Aqua Indiana and other utilities have made the claim that their water is “soft” – and cited in more than a few articles that current customers don’t need to use softeners anymore. Taking the utilities’ word, many consumers got rid of their softeners and subsequently found out the hard truth. Less hard is not soft.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, only water that tests with a less than 1 grains per gallon (gpg) concentration of hard minerals is considered soft water. Hard minerals include calcium and magnesium, and recent tests have shown that untreated hard water has a devastating effect on appliances.

In a May 5th article in the Journal Gazette, it is said the water will be “half as hard”, and I have to ask “half as hard” to what?

20 gpg to 10 gpg? 8 gpg to 4 gpg? I have to challenge their claims because I feel the real discussion has not been had on this issue. (UPDATE: My sources say that Aqua Indiana's water was 22 gpg before and will project to be 7 gpg. Bottom Line: Still very hard water!)

I feel the public is under a gross misconception when Aqua Indiana says the water is completely soft, and that softeners are no longer needed. The fact of the matter is that yes, some progress has been made, but the water is not even near the quality that a softener can attain.

Claims that their services equal a softener is simply not true.

All I ask for is a forum for debate, pros and cons, fact and fiction - and I welcome Aqua Indiana's thoughts.

More to come in this ongoing debate.