What is hard water?

Hard water is water that contains a lot of limescale (a compound of calcium and magnesium). The more calcium and magnesium the water contains, the ‘harder’ it is. Water hardness is expressed in German degrees (ºD or dH). Here, 1 dH is equivalent to 17.8 grams of calcium carbonate per 1,000 litres (1 m³) of water. With an average hardness of 8dH and a consumption of 100m³, we are therefore talking about well over 14 kilograms of limescale on an annual basis! It is not entirely clear when water can be described as ‘hard’. This is because it is a subjective assessment. What one person perceives as hard, another may perceive as soft water. Water companies indicate water hardness using five different scales:

0 – 4 dH	Soft
4 – 8 dH	On average
8 – 12 dH	Relatively hard
12 – 18 dH	Hard
18 – 30 dH	Very loud

Hard water in the Netherlands

As the Netherlands used to be under water, there are still many shellfish to be found in the soil today. The calcium carbonate from the shells of these animals has been deposited in the soil. This explains why drinking water in the Netherlands has an average water hardness of 8 dH. As tap water is sourced locally, water hardness varies across the Netherlands. Are you curious about the hardness of the water in your local area? Then take a look at our page on water hardness.

Effects of hard water

Although hard water is generally not harmful to your health, it does have some annoying consequences. One major nuisance caused by hard water is limescale. The harder the water, the more limescale builds up. Limescale starts to form at a water hardness of 2.7 dH, but this is referred to as light limescale. From 4 dH onwards, it is considered moderate limescale. Limescale is one of the main reasons why people choose a water softener. Other consequences The problems associated with hard water are:

Skin dryness
The worsening of skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis
The soap doesn’t lather as well, and you have to use more cleaning products
Appliances don’t last as long
Limescale marks on glass and paintwork

Need more information?

Download the brochure for free and with no obligation!

Download the brochure

Hard water and soft water

Limescale, dry skin, eczema… We don’t always realise it, but these troublesome issues are often caused or made worse by hard water. Soft water, on the other hand, contains very little limescale, making it very gentle on the skin. Soft water allows your skin to recover, which can help reduce skin problems.

Softened water using a water softener

Are you also experiencing the annoying effects of hard water? Prevent limescale and other annoying effects of hard water with a water softener from beautiful water.

Prevent limescale build-up on tiles, in pipes and in household appliances
Relieves the symptoms of dry skin, psoriasis and eczema
Save up to €500 a year on cleaning products

Discover the Mooiwater water softener

Get in touch

Would you like more information about hard water or our water softeners? Please get in touch with us by calling 085 060 44 70. Or send an email to info@mooiwater.nl. We will get back to you as soon as possible.