"Hard water", or water containing high levels of magnesium and calcium, can cause a variety of problems throughout the household.
These problems include pipe build-up, problems with appliances, residue on bathtubs and dishes and dry skin after showering.
To avoid these problems, many use a water softener to curb the effects of hard water.
Unfortunately, water softeners often cause more harm than good through the chemicals they introduce.
Water softeners use either salt or potassium chloride to replace the calcium and magnesium minerals in an exchange process, reducing the effects of the minerals on the household.
When this exchange occurs, the dissolved minerals in the water increase the corrosiveness of the pipes in your house.
The corrosion in your pipes substantially increases the amount of lead and copper drawn into your water, which is far worse than clogged pipes or dry skin.
The amount of lead in certain households can be startling.
The more pre-existing lead that is on your pipes, the higher levels of lead will be drawn into your water.
In certain households with very high amounts of lead, you can visibly see the rust in the water when it is turned on in the morning.
Lead in drinking water can lead to multiple different neurological problems, physical ailments, and gastro-intestinal dysfunction.
Kidney function and blood-forming properties are especially hindered, which can lead to disease or even death.
Basic cognitive function can be severely affected, especially in children, who are vulnerable to developmental problems both physically and mentally.
Pregnant mothers should avoid lead at all costs, as it can cross into the fetal barrier and affect the health of newborns and cause birth complications.
So how can you avoid the devastating effects of lead? To begin, you should have your water tested.
You can contact your local water municipality, who will usually test your water for a cheap price.
If the results confirm an excess amount of lead in your water, there is a way to curb the effects of hard water while reducing lead.
Instead of using a traditional salt-based water softener, there are devices called conditioning magnets.
Instead of relying on large amounts of salt to soften water, conditioning magnets ionically hydrate and dissolve scale-buildup.
In other words, it changes the molecular structure of the water in a way to reduce the impact of mineral buildup.
Conditioning magnets solve your lead problems in a few different ways.
The process of conditioning water involves no dissolved minerals, so there is no "leaching" of lead or copper into your water.
Also, these magnets control the pre-existing corrosion so that the lead and copper deposits are removed, which prevents the possibility of old deposits being drawn into the water supply.
The conditioning magnet can allow your household to avoid the negative effects of hard water while also reducing the health risks of lead.
If you are truly concerned about the effects of lead, investing in a conditioning magnet would be beneficial.