Daily Effects on Skin and Hair
Living with 18.3 GPG water has noticeable effects on personal care. The high concentration of calcium and magnesium minerals leads to:
- A feeling of residue on your skin after showering, as soap combines with minerals to form soap scum.
- Exacerbated dry skin, itchy scalp, and other dermatological issues.
- Hair that feels dull, lifeless, and coated, no matter which shampoo you use.
- For parents, using purified water for baby formula is a common choice to avoid the high, uncontrolled mineral content of tap water.
Choosing the Right Water System for Anthem
Given the extreme hardness of 18.3 GPG, only a whole-house system can adequately protect your home.
- Top Recommendation: A high-efficiency, salt-based water softener is the gold standard. It actively removes the minerals that cause hardness, protecting your entire plumbing system. For superior drinking water, this should be paired with a multi-stage Reverse Osmosis (RO) system under the kitchen sink.
- Salt-Free Alternative: A salt-free conditioner can help reduce scale formation but does not remove minerals. At this hardness level, it's less effective than a traditional softener and provides none of the soft-water benefits for skin, hair, or cleaning.
Financial Breakdown: A water softener system costs roughly $1,500 installed, but it begins paying you back immediately. With annual savings on energy and cleaning products totaling $194, the system achieves full payback in 7.7 years, while protecting your expensive appliances from day one.