When you receive a laboratory report on water hardness, it typically lists concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), the minerals mainly responsible for hard water. In Renville County's aquifer 112TILL area, government sampling provides valuable data from multiple wells, illustrating what customers might expect with regard to water hardness, though not the exact condition of any individual well.
Depth of Sampled Wells Affects Expected Water Characteristics
The U.S. Geological Survey collected water samples from five separate wells in Renville County's aquifer 112TILL between October 23 and 24, 2017. These wells ranged in depth from 20 to 175 feet. Water quality can vary significantly with depth because mineral content often increases in deeper groundwater layers. The median hardness value found was 231 mg/L, with a range from 155 to 667 mg/L across those wells. This range highlights that water hardness in the area can be moderate to quite high depending on well location and depth.
How Water Quality Changes After Treatment with the Fleck Acidic Water + Hard Water (Well) System
The Fleck system is designed to address both acidity and hardness affecting household water. Once configured for your home, it reduces hardness by exchanging calcium and magnesium ions with less problematic ions, softening the water effectively. It also neutralizes acidic water, helping prevent issues caused by low pH, such as metal leaching and pipe corrosion. This results in water that is more amenable for household use, reducing mineral buildup and improving water quality at the tap.
The Impact of Plumbing Materials and Age on Perceived Water Quality
Even with water treated for hardness and acidity, the materials and age of household plumbing can influence water characteristics. Older pipes, especially those made of metal, may react with acidic water if untreated, potentially causing discoloration or metallic taste. Plastic or newer plumbing materials typically do not react with treated water. Understanding that plumbing contributes independently of source water quality helps clarify why some water symptoms persist or change over time.
How the Fleck System Removes or Neutralizes Hardness and Acid
The Fleck Acidic Water + Hard Water (Well) System operates by ion exchange and acid neutralization. It has a grain capacity of 32,000 grains, meaning it can process a significant volume of hardness before media replacement is needed. By exchanging calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium ions, it reduces scale formation and improves water softness. Simultaneously, it adds a neutralizing agent to increase the water’s pH toward neutral, mitigating the effects of acidity.
Understanding Official Water Hardness Test Reports
Certified laboratory tests typically report hardness in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate equivalent. The government samples from Renville County's aquifer 112TILL show all results detected calcium and magnesium, with levels well below any federal limits. This means these samples are within guidelines and not considered violations or unsafe, but the hardness levels are sufficient to potentially cause household issues the Fleck system can address. To know specific hardness and acidity in your own well, a certified lab test of your water is necessary since area data cannot substitute for it.
These findings are based on government sampling of five wells from 20 to 175 feet deep in Renville County’s aquifer 112TILL and provide a clear local context. For complete details, see the U.S. Geological Survey groundwater data for this site.
Where this information comes from
Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2017-10-24. 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 112TILL aquifer (Renville County): 5 results from 5 wells, median 231.0 mg/L, range 155.0-667.0 mg/L; none above any federal threshold