Hard water is water with a lot of dissolved calcium and magnesium. It leaves white scale on fixtures, makes soap work poorly, and builds up inside water heaters and pipes. Well water can also carry iron, manganese, bacteria or other things you cannot see, so the first step is always a lab test. Once you know what is in the water, a softener, filter or both can fix most problems.
What hard water does to your home
The U.S. Geological Survey rates water by how many milligrams per liter of hardness it has:
- Soft: 0 to 60 mg/L
- Moderately hard: 61 to 120 mg/L
- Hard: 121 to 180 mg/L
- Very hard: more than 180 mg/L
According to the USGS, hard water leaves a film on your hands after washing, creates soap scum, and makes you use more soap and detergent. When it is heated, it forms scale. That scale can shorten the life of equipment, lower the efficiency of water heaters and build up inside pipes, which can cut water flow and pressure. You will often see it first as crusty faucet aerators, spotty glasses and a shower head that sprays sideways.
What else can be in well water
Hardness is mostly a nuisance. Other things in well water can affect health or stain everything they touch. Common ones include:
- Iron and manganese, which cause orange, brown or black stains in sinks, tubs and laundry.
- Low pH, or acidic water, which can eat at copper pipes and leave blue-green stains.
- Bacteria, such as total coliform and E. coli, which you cannot see, smell or taste.
- Nitrates, arsenic, uranium and other chemicals, which also give no warning signs.
This is why we never pick a treatment system based on how the water looks. We start with a test.
The New Jersey Private Well Testing Act
New Jersey has a law about well testing. According to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the Private Well Testing Act took effect in September 2002. It requires:
- That the buyer or seller of a home with a private drinking water well has the water tested before closing.
- That landlords test their well water once every five years and give each tenant a copy of the results.
The test must be done by a state certified lab. The DEP lists the required items, which include total coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH, iron, manganese, lead, arsenic, gross alpha particle activity, PFAS chemicals (PFOA, PFOS and PFNA) and volatile organic compounds, among others. Morris County is one of the counties where uranium is also on the list. The lab sends results to the DEP.
The law only covers sales and rentals. If you have owned your home for years, nobody is making you test. That is exactly why many wells in our area have not been tested since the day the house was bought.
How often should you test?
The EPA and CDC both recommend testing a private well at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Test sooner if the water changes in taste, smell or color, after flooding near the wellhead, or after work on the well. Use a state certified lab. A full test like the one required for a home sale gives you the best picture before buying treatment equipment.
How to fix hard water and well water problems
- Get a certified lab test. This tells you hardness, iron, pH and anything that affects health.
- Match the equipment to the results. A water softener removes hardness and can handle some iron. Separate filters handle higher iron, manganese, sulfur smell, sediment or acidic water. Some problems, like bacteria, may need a UV system or other treatment.
- Size it for your home. An undersized softener runs out of capacity and lets hard water through. We size by household size, water use and the test numbers.
- Keep up with it. Softeners need salt. Filters need media changes or new cartridges. Re-test once a year to make sure it is still working.
Our water softeners and filtration page explains the systems we install and service.
What you can do today
- Soak crusty aerators and shower heads in white vinegar to loosen scale.
- Check the salt level in your softener if you have one. A bridge of hard salt can form near the top and stop it from working.
- Look at your water heater's age and listen for popping sounds, which often mean scale and sediment.
- Schedule a lab test if you have not had one in the past year.
When to call a licensed plumber
- You got test results back and are not sure what they mean for equipment.
- Your softener is using salt but the water still feels hard or leaves spots.
- You see stains, smells or pressure loss that came on suddenly.
- You need a new pressure tank or have questions about the well system inside the house. See our well tanks and well water page.
Why this happens around Budd Lake and Morris County
Much of our service area outside the town water lines runs on private wells, including large parts of Mount Olive, Long Valley, Chester, Mendham, Byram and Randolph. Groundwater picks up minerals as it moves through rock, so hardness and iron are common. Because Morris County is on the state's uranium list under the Private Well Testing Act, a full lab test is worth doing even if your water looks perfectly clear. We see the effects every week in the form of scaled up water heaters and worn out fixtures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to test my well if I am not selling?
Under the Private Well Testing Act, testing is required when a home is sold or when a landlord rents it out. Owners who are staying put are not required to test, but the EPA and CDC recommend testing at least once a year.
Will a water softener make my water safe to drink?
No. A softener removes hardness minerals. It does not treat bacteria or most chemicals. Treatment for health issues depends on what the lab test finds.
Can hard water ruin my water heater?
It can shorten its life. The USGS notes that scale lowers water heater efficiency and can reduce equipment life. Flushing the tank and treating the water both help.
Where do I get my well tested?
Use a lab certified by the NJ DEP. Many labs will send a technician to take the sample, which is how sale-related tests are usually done.
If you want a second set of eyes on it, call or text us at 862-362-0634 or request service online. We are a family owned shop in Budd Lake, and we will tell you straight what we find and what it needs.
Sources
- NJ DEP: Private Well Testing Act
- USGS: Hardness of Water
- EPA: Protect Your Home's Water
- CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well Water
Micky Cipolla is a New Jersey licensed master plumber (License #13478) with more than 15 years in plumbing and heating. He owns Tucker's Plumbing in Budd Lake and works on homes across Morris County every day. Verify the license.