In Long Island, residents often find themselves grappling with a common challenge – hard water. The presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium in the water supply can have far-reaching consequences, affecting everything from our skin and hair to the efficiency of household appliances. In this blog, we will delve into the problem of hard water in Long Island, exploring its causes, impacts, and, most importantly, the solutions available to tackle it.

Understanding Hard Water

Water hardness is the level of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. Hard water has high mineral content, primarily calcium and magnesium. When you wash your hands with hard water, you might notice a residue due to soap reacting with the abundant calcium, creating “soap scum.” Hard water requires more soap or detergent for effective cleaning of hands, hair, or laundry.

The Long Island Hard Water Problem

Long Island grapples with moderately hard-to-hard water, with an average hardness ranging from 7 to 12 grains per gallon (GPG). Long Island draws its home tap water from underground aquifers, which contain varying levels of calcium and magnesium – soluble minerals found in the local soil. The groundwater can also contain other, additional contaminants such as PFOAs, disinfectants, industrial chemicals, and more.  

The Impact of Hard Water on Long Islanders

According to a study by the Suffolk County Water Authority, over 65% of homes and businesses across Long Island are affected by these hard water issues: 

  1. Scale Buildup and Appliance Impact: Hard water can lead to the formation of mineral deposits, commonly referred to as scale, on fixtures such as faucets, showerheads, and pipes. Over time, this scale buildup can not only restrict water flow but also affect household appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters. The minerals from hard water can accumulate inside these appliances, causing clogs, reduced efficiency, and even premature breakdowns. As a result, appliance performance may be compromised, leading to higher maintenance and replacement costs.
  2. Soap Scum, Staining, and Cleaning Woes: Another consequence of hard water is the formation of soap scum. When hard water reacts with soap, it creates a stubborn residue that can adhere to bathroom fixtures, glass surfaces, and even clothing. This soap scum makes cleaning a challenging and time-consuming task. Additionally, hard water can lead to unsightly staining on sinks, bathtubs, and toilets, further detracting from the aesthetics of your home.
  3. Dry Skin, Hair, and Toiletries: The minerals in hard water can strip natural oils from your skin and hair, leaving them dry, itchy, and prone to irritation. Moreover, the reduced lathering ability of shampoo and soap in hard water can hinder your daily grooming routine, making it less enjoyable.
  4. Taste and Drinking Water Quality: Hard water’s impact isn’t limited to physical effects; it can even alter the taste of the water you consume. The high mineral content, primarily calcium and magnesium, can create a taste that some find unpalatable or less enjoyable than soft water. 

Solutions for Hard Water

The best solution to Long Island’s hard water problem is to install a water softening system. Here’s why these systems are a crucial investment:

  1. Energy and Cost Savings: Softened water allows appliances to operate more efficiently, resulting in energy savings and reduced maintenance costs. Additionally, by preventing scale buildup, you can avoid expensive repairs and replacements.
  2. Improved Cleaning: Softened water eliminates soap scum, reduces staining, and enhances the efficiency of cleaning processes. It leaves surfaces, glassware, and clothing noticeably cleaner and brighter.
  3. Enhanced Skin and Hair Health: By effectively removing the minerals that often contribute to dryness and irritation, water filtration systems play a crucial role in providing remarkably gentler water for bathing and grooming purposes. This, in turn, helps to nourish and promote the well-being of your skin and hair, leaving them healthier, softer, and more lustrous.
  4. Improved Taste: Hard water often has a distinct taste due to the high mineral content, which can be off-putting to many people. Water softening systems not only eliminate these minerals, but also improve the overall taste and odor of the water. This means a more refreshing and enjoyable experience whether you’re drinking a glass of water, brewing coffee, or making soup.

Simply PÜR Whole House Water Softening 

Installing Simply PÜR Whole House Water Softening in your Long Island home can truly transform your daily life. These innovative systems effectively tackle the detrimental effects of hard water, addressing concerns related to skin and hair health, pipe and appliance maintenance, and overall water quality. By opting for these cutting-edge systems, you can create a more comfortable and efficient living environment, offering a comprehensive solution to the challenges posed by hard water. Contact us today and ask about our free water quality analysis to get started. 

Long Island’s Hard Water Problem and the Need for Water Softening Systems

About Simply PÜR™ Water Filtration Services

Living in and serving the Long Island community, we strive to make sure everyone has access to clean, healthy water. We have the experience, knowledge, and industry-leading technology to provide clean water solutions for water impurities, contaminants, hard water, bad tasting/odors, well water, acidity & pH regulations.

Proud members of the WQA (Water Quality Association), and the EWQA (Eastern Water Quality Association), we adhere to strict guidelines and the WQA code of ethics. As a Pentair True Blue Partner and Authorized Distributor of Pentair Products, there’s nothing comparable to the performance, and efficiency of our whole house purification systems, water softeners, neutralizers, whole-house filters, and alkaline reverse osmosis systems for drinking in the convenience of your home.

NSF Water Filtration System
Pentair Water Filtration System

Our products are all NSF / ANSI certified, meeting the highest safety standards and quality performance. Providing our community with only the best experience of high quality water that’s Simply PÜR from our family to yours!

Simply PÜR utilizes accurate testing methods before and after system installation, as well as annual maintenance of all your water treatment equipment. Our Revolutionary Custom Built Water Treatment systems upon the completion of a Free In-Home Water Analysis, or an in-depth Comprehensive Water Analysis of your choice sent to our Certified Laboratory.

Customers Frequently Ask..

The answer to this question depends on which kind of drinking water you’re talking about. There are multiple agencies responsible for regulating water quality in the U.S., and there are some who are more critical about the way it’s handled.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in charge of overseeing the water that comes out of your tap. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees and regulates the quality of bottled water.

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Individual states are responsible for regulating water that is bottled and sold within their borders. Finally, your municipality must make sure it is following federal and state standards regarding water quality.

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The EPA does not regulate private wells, and rules for testing differ from state to state. In many cases, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure their well water is safe.

Certain things can affect the flavor, odor, and appearance of your tap water, not all of them are necessarily harmful.

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Many people with public water can taste the chlorine, although the most noticeable problems tend to come from private wells. Contaminants like sulfur can impact the smell, while iron will cause discoloration and staining.

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The overall amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) in your tap water will definitely affect the taste, smell, and appearance. While many of these issues are not serious concerns, they can certainly be a nuisance. Water filtration systems, including a high-efficiency water softener to reduce hardness, can provide solutions.

This process is called “reverse” osmosis because the pressure forces the water to flow in the reverse direction (from the concentrated solution to the dilute solution) to the flow direction (from the dilute to the concentrated) in the process of natural osmosis. RO removes ionized salts, colloids, and organic molecules down to a molecular weight of 100.

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You can get a whole-house RO, but more commonly, a point-of-use RO system would be on your countertop or installed under the sink. They’re great for treating water for cooking and drinking, but they don’t usually produce large amounts of treated water — more like 3 to 10 gallons a day. For that reason, typically people choose to install RO-treated faucets in the most popular areas of the home such as kitchens and bathrooms, as opposed to installing it for every drinking tap. Just like any other kind of filter technology, reverse osmosis systems require regular maintenance. That includes periodically replacing the unit’s prefilters, postfilters, and membrane modules.

Due to the media attention Flint, Michigan, received over its water crisis, a lot of people have questions about lead in public water systems around the U.S.

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Lead (as well as copper) typically enters the public supply by leaching into water from corroded fixtures and outdated plumbing. Homes built before 1986 will likely have plumbing with copper pipes using solder that may contain lead.

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Lead can cause serious negative health effects, especially in children. The challenge is that it is undetectable by human senses. You can check with your local water authority for information about lead levels, but it’s important to note that the CDC and EPA say there’s no level of lead recognized as safe for consumption.

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If you have concerns about the presence of lead in your water, you can have it tested in a state-certified laboratory. You can also read more in our article on lead in drinking water.

Softening hard water can mitigate many of its objectionable effects. Water softening can be done either at point of entry or point of use. One of the unique advantages offered by point-of-use water softening is the opportunity for homemakers to have either hard or soft water for drinking. This choice is not available if the water supply is softened municipally. Hardness minerals can be reduced in water to make it “softer” by using one of three basic means:

  • Chemical softening—lime softening, hot and cold; lime-soda softening
  • Membrane separation softening—Nano filtration
  • Cation exchange softening—inorganic, carbonaceous, or organic base exchangers
  • Softening water for home needs is done almost exclusively through the use of cation exchange.

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Customer Testimonials

"Absolutely amazing service from beginning to end. Trustworthy and reliable to work with. And the water taste!! It’s incredible the difference after we installed our water filtration system throughout our house. Also knowing my kids are drinking the purest of water is the biggest game changer. I would absolutely recommend Vinny and staff."

Randi Demetriou 

"We had a recent installation done by Vinny at Simply PUR and we couldn’t be happier. Vinny is reputable, reliable, efficient and the service is great. The water is so clean and tastes great, we don’t have to think twice about what is coming out of our faucet! Thank you Vinny!

Mike D.