How Hard Water Affects Your Family
While safe to drink, moderately hard water often causes noticeable cosmetic and comfort issues. The minerals in the water can lead to dry, itchy skin and scalp, and make hair feel brittle and dull. This happens because soap and shampoo don't rinse away completely, leaving a residue on your skin and hair. For families with infants, preparing baby formula with hard water can introduce extra mineral content that soft water avoids.
Choosing the Right Filter for Dayton's Water
At 5.0 GPG, a whole-house system is often unnecessary unless you have sensitive skin or are protecting high-end appliances. Your best options are targeted solutions.
- Best Value: A quality pitcher filter (like Brita or PUR) or a faucet-mount filter is sufficient for improving the taste and removing some minerals from drinking and cooking water.
- Long-Term Solution: For more comprehensive filtration without the expense of a full softener, consider an under-sink reverse osmosis (RO) system. This provides pristine drinking water and can eliminate the need for bottled water, which costs the average family $600-$900 annually.
Given the low potential savings of just $54 per year, a full water softener with a payback period of nearly 28 years is not a cost-effective investment for most Dayton households.