What's in the Water?

Some of the most frequently asked customer questions we are asked are, “What’s in the water?” and “Is our water hard or soft?” This is most often asked when our customers purchase new dishwashers and need to know the hardness or how many grains there are per gallon.
 

The District tests the water regularly for such things as volatile organic compounds, synthetic organic compounds, inorganic compounds, radionuclieds, lead, copper, nitrates, sodium and of course bacteria.  We also test for a list of general water quality items. There are more than 150 individual items tested; yet, there are very few that are detected and we find that our water quality is very good.  There are currently no detections of any contamination in our drinking water.
 

Pure water — tasteless, colorless, and odorless — is often called the universal solvent. When water moves through soil, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solution. Our water contains varying levels of iron, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. These minerals occur naturally and are commonly found on the Cape. While their presence does not raise health concerns, they can present conditions many consider a nuisance. For instance, iron and manganese accumulate as sediment deposits in the water mains. That is why it has become necessary to flush the system every year. These same minerals can also generate complaints of staining, taste and odor.
 

The characteristic of hardness or softness is primarily due to the presence of calcium and magnesium. It is expressed as the equivalent quantity of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The American Water Works Association has developed a generalized water hardness scale that rates very soft water as between 0 and 75 mg/l, moderately hard as between 75 and 150 mg/l, hard between 150 and 300 mg/l, and very hard water as being above 300 mg/l. Grains per gallon is another expression of hardness. To convert milligrams per liter to grains per gallon simply multiply by 0.06.  Our average hardness is 14 mg/l or 1 grain per gallon or in other words, very soft water. Sodium is naturally found in our water supply but also can be attributed to the salting and sanding of roads. Nitrates are also detected at the well source. While the levels are low by today’s limit (not to exceed 10 ppm), the goal is no more than 5 ppm. Thirty years ago the detections were 10% of what they are today. Routine monitoring of these characteristics enables the District to answer the most common questions and explain the most common complaints.