information of interest re soft or hard water,
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone and chalk-containing minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Hard drinking water is generally not harmful to one's health,[1] but can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that handles water. In domestic settings, hard water is often indicated by a lack of suds formation when soap is agitated in water, and by the formation of limescale in kettles and water heaters. Wherever water hardness is a concern, water softening is commonl
HARD OR SOFT IN YOUR AREA OF THE COUNTRY.
By English County
Bedfordshire - Hard to very hard
Berkshire - Hard to very hard
Bucks - Hard to very hard
Cambridgeshire - Hard to very hard
Cheshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Cornwall - Soft to moderately soft
Cumbria - Soft to moderately soft
Derbyshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Devon - Soft to moderately soft
Dorset - Hard to very hard
Durham - Soft to moderately soft
Essex - Hard to very hard
Gloucestershire - Hard to very hard
Greater London - Slightly to moderately hard
Hampshire - Hard to very hard
Herefordshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Hertfordshire - Hard to very hard
Kent - Hard to very hard
Lancashire - Soft to moderately soft
Leicestershire - Slightly to moderately hard
Lincolnshire - Hard to very hard
Norfolk - Hard to very hard
Northants - Slightly to moderately hard
Northumberland - Slightly to moderately hard
Nottinghamshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Oxfordshire - Hard to very hard
Rutland - Slightly to moderately hard
Shropshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Somerset - Soft to moderately soft
Staffordshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Suffolk - Hard to very hard
Surrey - Hard to very hard
Sussex - Hard to very hard
Warwickshire - Slightly to moderately hard
Wiltshire - Hard to very hard
Worcs - Slightly to moderately hard
I see my area is as i thought. somerset, soft to moderate soft.
Effects of hard water[
With hard water, soap solutions form a white precipitate (soap scum) instead of producing lather, because the 2+ ions destroy the surfactant properties of the soap by forming a solid precipitate (the soap scum). A major component of such scum is calcium stearate, which arises from sodium stearate, the main component of soap:
What's the difference between hard and soft water?
Hard water has a high concentration of minerals; usually calcium and magnesium compounds. Limescale is calcium carbonate that is precipitated out of the hard water when it is heated. Other than being unsightly, it also acts as an insulator, leading to overheating of elements and is therefore potentially damaging to your appliances.
Do I need to install a softener?
Some customers living in harder water areas choose to install water
softeners. We recommend that customers do not soften the water supply
to the taps from which drinking water is drawn. Some softeners can
increase the levels of sodium in the water which is harmful for people
suffering from high blood pressure. Softened water can be more
corrosive to metal pipe work and thereby increase the concentration of
metals in the water.
In hard water areas, how can the build up of scale be prevented?
Fresh water should always be used to fill kettles - re-boiling water will
encourage the build up of scale and other deposits and can lead to a
change in the taste of the water.
To help prevent the build up of scale in boilers and central heating
systems, it is good practice to keep the temperature setting below 60c
The formation of scale is very slight until the temperature of water
reaches 70c
60c is normally sufficient for domestic purposes
INFORMATION RE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES.
Plastic water bottles are very convenient for carting water around when we are on the go, as they don't break if we drop them. However, it is worth paying attention to the type of plastic your water bottle is made of, to ensure that the chemicals in the plastic do not leach into the water. If you taste plastic, you are drinking it, so get yourself another bottle.
To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.
Unfortunately, those fabulous colourful hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by the #7 recycling symbol, may leach BPA. Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. For more of the science on the effects of BPA on our endocrine system etc. see these studies: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal. Nalgene, the company that manufactures the lexan water bottles also makes #2 HDPE bottles in the same sizes and shapes, so we have a viable alternative. Order one at Nalgene.
Unfortunately, most plastic baby bottles and drinking cups are made with plastics containing Bisphenol A. In 2006 Europe banned all products made for children under age 3 containing BPA, and as of Dec. 2006 the city of San Franscisco followed suit. In March 2007 a billion-dollar class action suit was commenced against Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Avent, and Dr. Brown's in Los Angeles superior court for harm done to babies caused by drinking out of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. So, to be certain that your baby is not exposed, use glass bottles.
Check the recycling numbers on all your plastic food containers as well, and gradually move to storing all food in glass or ceramic.
Store water in glass or brass if possible, and out of direct sunlight.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK A DAY.
Dr. Margaret McCartney, expert in evidence-based medicine and British Medical Journal contributor
"There is no evidence to suggest drinking increased amounts of water benefits your health. Being told to drink eight glasses a day is also incredibly inaccurate - how big are those glasses anyway? We have a fantastic physiological system that is much more sensitive than any one-fits-all-water quota, it's called 'thirst'. Drinking to quench thirst is always a good idea, but drinking on top of quenching that initial sensation has no proven benefits - unless you are following specific advice from your doctor.
Besides, drinking endlessly from plastic bottles isn't healthy, and it's immoral - instead drink to satiate thirst, from a glass bottle filled with filtered tap water."
Eve Kalinik, nutritional therapist
"Our body is 60 per cent water, so I tell all my clients to drink at least one and a half litres of water a day to keep the body functioning properly. The main obstacle is usually a lifestyle issue, as we're almost becoming too busy to notice we're even thirsty, until we have that classic headache - and that's on top of the fact that we drink too much coffee, which dehydrates us. And it's not remedied by chugging back two litres at the end of the day if you haven't met your quota; too much too late keeps you up at night, just as dehydration would disturb your sleep.
But don't get fixated by your water intake - if you're eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables, and herbal tea, that all counts towards your fluid intake, too. I tell clients to sip small amounts throughout the day and listen to their bodies. I'm a firm believer in that tried and tested method."