We have also received many inquiries about "staining" and mineral deposit
build-up on coffee pots and tea kettles. This is also caused by calcium
deposits, and these deposits can easily be removed with white vinegar.
The Hallowell Water District utilizes a ground water supply from an aquifer located in Chelsea, Maine. Ground water contains dissolved natural minerals and one of these minerals is calcium. The term hardness is a measurement of the amount of dissolved natural minerals. Hardness is measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L) with 500 mg/L being the maximum limit for a public water supply. Our water supply has a total hardness of 156 mg/L of the total hardness. Calcium is 50 mg/L of the total hardness.
Many of our customers have noticed a white deposit on stainless steel surfaces where water is left to evaporate. This is calcium. Calcium will also appear as spots on dishes in a dishwasher if the dishes are air dried without a drying agent ( Jet dry).
We have also received many inquiries about "staining" and mineral deposit
build-up on coffee pots and tea kettles. This is also caused by calcium
deposits, and these deposits can easily be removed with white vinegar.
Calcium does not have a negative effect to the average customer.
The major problem with calcium is that it will not stay in solution at extremely high temperatures. The district adds a polyphosphate to the water that holds the calcium in solution near the boiling point of 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
The polyphosphate was added to our water in 1994 when the district discovered that many of our customers were heating their domestic water with furnaces that utilize a direct tank-less system. We found that if these furnaces were operated above the normal temperatures range for long periods of time, a calcium deposit would build up inside the domestic hot water coil. The polyphosphate has eliminated this problem.
The
district also found that this method of heating water was and continues
to be a direct cause of many low pressure problems within our customer's
homes. This problem has nothing to do with calcium.
We recommend the purchase of a
furnace that utilizes a direct tankless system for heating domestic hot
water, or any water heating system that elevates the water temperature
above 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Water is a universal solvent. Water will try to dissolve almost anything. Water also tries to dissolve the piping network that delivers the water to your home. This is called corrosion. The piping system within many homes contains lead. This lead may lech into water at unhealthy levels in extremely corrosive water.
In general, harder water is less corrosive. The district has and continues to test the corrosiveness of our water. ALL OF OUR TEST RESULTS HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT. The nature of our water and the addition of the polyphosphate have yielded a water that meets our customer's needs without the negative effects on the piping system.
If you are interested in reviewing our engineering report on water quality,
it is available at the Water District office.