Is Guelph Water Hard? What It Means for Your Home

Why the water is hard

Guelph and most of Wellington County sit on limestone and dolostone bedrock. As groundwater moves through that rock, it dissolves calcium and magnesium, which is what hardness is. The water is safe to drink, and hardness is not a health concern. It is a nuisance for your plumbing and appliances.

Reported hardness in the area

Water above roughly 180 mg/L is generally classed as very hard. Levels vary by well and over time, so test your own tap before setting a softener. Private wells vary even more.

What hard water does

• White scale on taps, shower heads and glass
• Scale inside kettles, coffee makers and dishwashers
• Water heaters that lose efficiency as scale builds up on the bottom
• Soap and shampoo that do not lather well
• Spotty dishes and stiff laundry

Softener settings for Guelph water

Most softeners ask for hardness in grains per gallon. For Guelph city water, a setting in the high 20s is a reasonable starting point, but a quick test of your own tap gives the right number. If your softener was set up for a different town, or years ago, check the setting.

If you are buying a softener, size it to your hardness and your household. An undersized unit regenerates constantly and wastes salt. An oversized one costs more up front than it needs to.

Drinking water

A softener swaps hardness for a small amount of sodium. If you want low-sodium drinking water, a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink pairs well with a softener.