Hardness

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The hardness of water refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. As water travels over or through the ground, it dissolves these naturally occurring minerals. These minerals can make cleaning with the water more challenging and may leave drinking glasses spotted.

Cheyenne's water is generally soft but may be considered moderately hard depending on how much water comes from wells and which wells Cheyenne is using. On average, approximately 85 percent of Cheyenne’s water comes from reservoirs (softer water) and 15 percent from wells (harder water).

Cheyenne's drinking water contains approximately 60 milligrams of calcium carbonate per 1 liter of water (mg/L) or approximately 3.5 grains of hardness. Depending on which wells and how many wells the water treatment operators are using, hardness can vary between 50 to 70 mg/L. Water containing less than 75 mg/L, or about 4.5 grains, is generally classified as “soft.”

Deciding whether or not to install or use a water softener in Cheyenne is a matter of personal preference. When making the decision, consider the following:

• Once the softener is installed, it will require routine maintenance and will need to be regularly replenished with salt. If not maintained properly, the softener can become a source of harmful bacteria or unwanted tastes and/or odors.
• Many softeners exchange minerals with salt. Salt is difficult to remove from water and makes the water less conducive to other uses downstream. Some of the water that goes down the drain is treated and reused to irrigate parks and athletic fields. The additional salts can harm salt-sensitive plants and trees.