Water for household use comes from many different sources. Your first concern as a user is an abundant supply of wholesome water. In the interests of comfort and convenience, as well as health, you should learn what kind of water you have. Occasionally water that is perfectly safe to drink adds an undesirable flavor to beverages and food and stains articles or corrodes piping.

Once assured that your water supply is hygienic and palatable, you should determine whether it is hard or soft, corrosive or non-corrosive. No general statement can be made about corrosiveness – it varies greatly with the composition of the water and with the material used for piping. Check local experience. The following discussion is based on general experience but may be contradicted by the facts in your area.

Water in certain areas contains enough mineral to cause scale accumulation in piping systems, boilers, etc. At best, such water will leave a scum on bathtubs and other fixtures. Such waters are “hard.” They require excessive quantities of soap for cleaning. Water-softening equipment is recommended where your water supply is of this type.

Ordinarily “soft” water does not deposit scale and lathers freely. However, certain types of soft water are “aggressive.” They may be harmless to drink and will make plenty of suds but may cause objectionable tastes in food and beverages and will corrode all types of metallic pipe, tubing, or containers.

Where soft water is so aggressive as to cause an objectionable staining, or discoloring, the suggested solution is to obtain anti-corrosion equipment. It is well to note that the water rather than the piping causes the trouble. If your water comes from, a public utility, you can be assured that the water is healthy; it may be non-corrosive in character. If your supply is private, consult the manufacturers of watertreatment devices, should you encounter any of the aforementioned difficulties.