Daily Effects on Skin and Hair
While the city's water is safe to drink, its hardness impacts your daily routine. The minerals interfere with the effectiveness of soaps, leading to:
- A feeling of residue or film left on the skin after showering.
- Dry, irritated skin, which can worsen conditions like psoriasis or eczema.
- Dull, frizzy, and unmanageable hair due to soap curd buildup.
- Constant scrubbing of soap scum from shower doors, tubs, and sinks.
Choosing the Right Water Treatment for Saint Anthony
Given the 11.7 GPG hardness level, investing in water treatment offers a clear return. Here are the most logical options:
- Best All-Around: A salt-free water conditioner is highly effective for this level of hardness. It neutralizes the minerals to prevent scale buildup in pipes and water heaters without adding salt to your water. For drinking water, an under-sink reverse osmosis (RO) filter provides the best purity.
- Traditional Choice: A classic salt-based water softener will completely remove the hardness minerals, eliminating all scale, leaving laundry soft, and making glassware spotless.
A full water softening system (around $1,500 installed) can pay for itself in 11.9 years with the $126 per year saved on energy and cleaning supplies. If your family buys bottled water, an under-sink RO system can save you an additional $600-$900 per year, paying for itself in under a year.