When discussing plumbing in Kitchener and the surrounding areas, you must consider the notoriously hard water residents deal with on a daily basis.
The water here is so hard that there’s a page on the Region of Waterloo’s website that encourages you to make sure you have a working water softener.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Why the water in Kitchener is so hard
2. How hard is the water in your neighbourhood?
3. Why you need a water softener
If you’re concerned about the hardness of your water and would like to do something about it, contact the knowledgeable and helpful staff at WaterSmart today.
1. Plumbing Kitchener: Why is the water so hard?
According to the Region of Waterloo website, most drinking water in Waterloo Region comes from groundwater wells.
In fact, about 75 to 80 percent of Waterloo Region's drinking water is groundwater that’s extracted by Municipal wells throughout Waterloo Region.
To build a well, a pipe is placed in a drilled hole. A pump at the bottom of the well helps to push the groundwater to the top of the well.
Groundwater requires less treatment than surface water from the Grand River. However, it’s sometimes filtered to remove iron and manganese, minerals found naturally in aquifers.
Groundwater is typically considered "hard” because the water picks up minerals like calcium and magnesium while it travels underground.
Those minerals contribute to scale buildup in pipes and appliances. Many residences use water softeners that replace the minerals with salt, resulting in softened water.
over 100 municipal wells throughout Waterloo Region supply about 100 million litres of drinking water each day.
2. How hard is the water in your neighbourhood?
Kitchener has some of the hardest water in all of Canada.
The city ranges between 17 and 38 grains per gallon (gpg) or 291 and 615 parts per million (ppm).
Meanwhile, the water hardness average across Canada is only 10.5 gpg.
Kitchener's water is about 2 to 3 times harder than the Canadian average.
There’s a large range of water hardness in different areas of Kitchener.
The hardest water in Kitchener is found in the area located north of the Conestoga Parkway between Lakeside Drive and Charles Street, south of Victoria Street, and also the Hidden Valley area by Wabanaki and River Birch Street.
To find out the exact level of hardness for your street, the City of Kitchener published a helpful map.
To help you determine what size of water softener you would need for your home, check out this previous blog post, "What Size Water Softener?”
3. Why you need a water softener
Even though it’s safe to drink, hard water causes a number of issues that makes plumbing in Kitchener a challenge.
Some of these problems are:
Damage to your dishwasher, washing machine, and hot water heater due to mineral build-up
Calcium build-up in your shower
Sink and toilet bowl stains
Damage to your plumbing pipes
Difficulties getting your dishes and laundry clean
Damage to your clothing, causing it to wear out faster
Because of the unique and challenging water hardness issues found in the city, it’s a good idea to purchase a water softener from a company that is familiar with plumbing in Kitchener.
For over 25 years, we have been helping the residents of Kitchener solve their hard water issues.
On average, a water softener can cost anywhere from $600 to $3,000 or more depending on the quality and size of the softener. However, that doesn’t include installation.
Remember: the cheapest water softener isn't always your best bet. You want a quality water softener that is going to be able to soften your water over a long period of time.
Additionally, the more water you use, the larger the capacity of water softener you’ll need.
If up-front costs are prohibitive when it comes to investing in the best water softener for your home, our water softener financing option allows you to purchase your water softener at 12 equal payments with zero interest.
Plumbing Kitchener: Let Us Install Your Water Softener
WaterSmart has been serving the Waterloo region including, Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, Brantford, and surrounding areas since 1994.
We are committed to helping you improve the quality of your home's water.
We live and work in the Kitchener-Waterloo region so we understand the hard water challenges of this area.
We know how to install and program your water softener for maximum efficiency and are familiar with the types of water softener repairs that you might need.
Our water softener installation service includes the following.
Deliver your new water softener
Install the new water softener and hook it up to any necessary plumbing
Replace an existing water softener in the same location within the home
Set up and program the softener unit
Remove the old water softener free of charge - unless it is a rental unit
Test to ensure proper operation
Demonstrate how the unit works & how much salt to add regularly
Clean up the job site
Contact WaterSmart today to talk to one of our water systems experts.
“I am very happy with my softener. They had the best price for a highly efficient water softener. I can’t explain how happy I am with their customer service. I highly recommend them if you are looking for a good softener for a reasonable price and warranty.”
