Pentair Sensitive Skin & Eczema System

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This week you face the decision of whether to test your home's water for hardness and how to interpret those results in relation to sensitive skin concerns.

What does a certified laboratory test report about calcium and magnesium hardness?

When a certified laboratory analyzes water hardness, it measures calcium and magnesium concentrations, reported in milligrams per liter (mg/L). These are the two primary minerals that contribute to water hardness. The test results typically provide a numeric value reflecting the combined mass of these minerals. Interpretation involves understanding this number in the context of local water characteristics and any personal skin sensitivities.

How can I understand Leflore County’s water hardness median and range as a homeowner?

The U.S. Geological Survey sampled groundwater from 12 wells in Leflore County’s 112MRVA aquifer between August 2016 and July 2020. The median hardness in these samples was 230 mg/L, with a range from 41.6 mg/L to 464 mg/L. This means that half the samples measured above 230 mg/L and half below, and that individual well samples varied considerably. As a homeowner, this indicates your own water hardness could fall anywhere within that spectrum. The variation also reflects factors such as well depth and geological differences.

How do I compare treatment capacity to my household’s daily water use?

Water hardness treatment systems, such as the Pentair Sensitive Skin & Eczema System with a grain capacity of 32,000, provide a measure of how much mineral accumulation they can handle before regeneration is needed. To evaluate if this aligns with your household needs, consider your average daily water consumption and local hardness levels. Multiply daily water use by estimated hardness to estimate grains of hardness per day your system must address. This helps determine if a system’s capacity suits your situation without oversizing or undersizing.

What does Leflore County’s hardness range mean regarding federal standards, and what does it not indicate?

None of the 21 hardness measurements from Leflore County wells exceeded any federal thresholds. Federal standards for hardness primarily guide water aesthetics such as taste and scale buildup, not direct health concerns. Therefore, detected hardness within this range does not signal a violation or health risk. It also does not identify specific skin irritation causes. Sensitive skin reactions depend on individual factors and other water quality aspects not covered here.

How is water hardness related to sensitive skin compared to other common water issues?

Hardness is often confused with other water factors like chlorine content or pH levels, which can also affect skin sensitivity. Unlike these factors, hardness specifically involves calcium and magnesium minerals that may cause dryness or irritation in some individuals but do not pose direct health hazards. Testing your own water for precise hardness levels and considering skin symptoms together provides a clearer understanding than area-wide data alone.

From the area data provided, you should NOT conclude that your own household water falls at any particular hardness level or that hardness alone causes sensitive skin. Personal water testing and a holistic view of water chemistry and skin condition are necessary to make informed decisions about treatment options such as the Pentair Sensitive Skin & Eczema System, which ships ready to configure for household use.

Where this information comes from

Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2020-07-23. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.

On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Hardness, Ca, Mg in the 112MRVA aquifer (Leflore County): 21 results from 12 wells, median 230.0 mg/L, range 41.6-464.0 mg/L; none above any federal threshold