How Hard Water Affects Your Family
While the minerals in Hermantown's water are not a health hazard to ingest, they do affect your skin and hair. The dissolved calcium and magnesium react with soap to form a sticky scum that doesn't rinse away cleanly. This residue can lead to:
- Dry, itchy skin and aggravated conditions like eczema.
- Dull, brittle hair that's difficult to manage.
- A feeling of film or residue on your skin after showering.
For families with infants, the mineral content can also be a consideration when preparing baby formula.
Choosing the Right Filter for Hermantown
With moderate hardness of 5.2 GPG, a full-scale, whole-house water softener is not an economical choice. A typical system costing $1,500 would take nearly 28 years to pay for itself through the estimated annual savings of just $54. The better approach is targeted filtration:
- For Drinking Water: A quality pitcher filter (like Brita or PUR) or a faucet-mount filter will effectively remove chlorine taste and some minerals, improving the quality of your drinking water and coffee.
- For General Use: These targeted solutions are sufficient. A whole-house system is generally unnecessary for water at this hardness level. An under-sink Reverse Osmosis (RO) system is an option if you spend heavily on bottled water, as it can eliminate that recurring cost entirely.