How to find out the hardness of water in an apartment by region mg-eq / l? Overview + Video

What is water hardness? Hardness of water - This is a set of general information about the properties of water related to the quantitative content of salts, heavy metals and various impurities in it. Considering the types of water hardness, you can understand that it is divided into 3 types.

The first type is carbonate hardness. It represents the quantitative content of magnesium, calcium and iron salts. You can eliminate it with the help of ordinary boiling.

The second type is non-carbonate hardness.

This hardness implies the presence of salts of strong acids in the water and getting rid of it is much more difficult. And the so-called single hardness of water completes the top three. To find this value, you need to add the carbonate hardness to the non-carbonate hardness. Usually, this general indicator is used in calculations and determining the type of water.

What does hard water affect?

Everyone knows that a person needs to drink about 2 liters of water per day, however, with constant interaction with hard water, people began to notice that it adversely affects their health.This issue is very acute in large cities, since a larger number of people live there.

Previously, it was believed that simply boiling tap water was sufficient, and the negative properties of hard water would lose their power. But more and more often people defiantly express distrust towards local housing and communal services regarding the quality of water, as they notice negative impacts on its part.

How does this water affect the human body? First, drinking hard water leads to the formation of kidney stones. This is because, due to impurities in the water, the excretory system is forced to filter them on its own. Because of this, the salt balance of the body is disturbed, that is, the salts do not have time to leave the body with urine.

Secondly, this water accelerates the aging process, as it greatly dries the skin, depriving it of the necessary moisture. Also, due to hard water, there are frequent cases of rashes and irritations. And the last point is that hair and nails suffer from such a liquid.

In addition to the negative impact on human health, our washing machines, dishwashers and sinks also suffer. Considering washing machines, we can say that in hard water, various detergents are less effective. They do not foam well and wash the dirt worse. Also, because of this water, salts accumulate on the drum of washing machines, which leads to an early breakdown.

Optimal hardness parameters

If we take the hardness of water and units of measurement, then at the moment in Russia the hardness parameters are less strictly than in Europe. Water, which has 3.6-4 mg-eq / l, is already considered hard in Europe, while in our country it is still classified as soft. Soft water is considered to be hardness from 0 to 4 mg-eq / l.

Water with medium hardness is called a liquid with indicators from 4 to 8 meq / l. Hard water is called water with indicators from 8 to 12 mg-eq / l. Anything over 12 is very hard water.

Average values ​​of water hardness

Speaking about our capital, it is clear that the hardness of tap water is on average 3-3.5 mg-eq / l. In the Central region, the average hardness reading is 3.2. In the north of Moscow 3.5. In the south in the region of 3.4. In the west and east, about 3.3. If you live and want to know in more detail what water hardness flows from your tap, then you can contact Mosvodokanal and ask them about it directly. They will be required to provide you with this information.

How often is water hardness measured?

Usually, measurements are made for each region separately. The frequency of measurements depends on the population of the area. If less than 10,000 people live in the region, then samples are taken once every two weeks. If the population is between 10,000 and 20,000, then about 5 times in two weeks. In a region with a population of 100,000 or more, measurements are taken several times a day.

Change in water hardness throughout the year

For no reason, Mosvodokanal grants residents of the capital the right to find out the hardness of tap water in their apartments at any time. The composition of water is unstable, so they should be constantly monitored. There are quite a few reasons why this happens, however, noticeable changes occur with the change of season.

In winter, water reaches its peak of hardness. It is during this season that household appliances that interact with water most often break. In the spring, the water flowing from the taps in the apartments softens greatly. This is due to the fact that the snow begins to melt in the spring. After it melts, already in the form of water, it flows into the reservoirs.Water processing companies, pumping liquid from these reservoirs, after filtering, send them directly to your home. In summer, the indicators almost do not change at all. In autumn, due to heavy rains, the water is considered the softest.

Which company is responsible for the quality of water in the capital?

Every Muscovite should know who is responsible for the water supplied to residential buildings. Different organizations are responsible for cold and hot water. For questions about cold water, you should contact Mosvodokanal; for questions about hot water, contact the housing and communal services to which your house is attached.

The capital is divided into districts. Each district is served by a separate group of inspectors. Water measurements are carried out not only in residential buildings, but also in various public places: in catering establishments, in shopping centers. In total, they conduct observations in about two hundred different points of the city.

How to determine the hardness of water yourself?

If you do not have the opportunity to contact the local water utility, then you can purchase a special tester and simply dip it into the water. By changing the color of the tester, you can find out how hard the water flows in your apartment.