Daily Effects on Skin and Hair
While medically safe, the high mineral content in Glenside's water creates quality-of-life issues. It interferes with the performance of soaps and shampoos, leaving a film on surfaces—including your skin and hair.
- It can lead to dry, itchy skin and worsen conditions like eczema.
- Hair can become brittle, dull, and hard to style.
- A sticky residue can be left on skin and hair after showering.
For young children and infants, using hard water to prepare baby formula can also lead to a higher mineral intake than is typically advised.
What Filtration System is Right for Glenside?
With water at 7.4 GPG, treatment is a wise investment. The best fit for this hardness level is often a salt-free water conditioner, which neutralizes the minerals to prevent scale buildup without using salt. For improving the taste of your drinking water, a simple pitcher filter or a more robust under-sink reverse osmosis (RO) system is recommended.
A full, salt-based water softener is also effective but may not be the most economical choice. Based on an estimated annual savings of $81 (from reduced energy and soap costs), a softener that costs ~$1,500 to install would take 18.5 years to pay for itself. An RO system, by contrast, pays for itself quickly by eliminating the $600-$900 annual cost of bottled water.