Soaping in a heatwave

[DeeAnna]

I don't know of any governmental standards to regulate water hardness -- meaning the concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) -- in drinking water. Most governments are more concerned about chemicals in water that will harm you -- lead, arsenic, nitrate, organic chemicals, etc. -- and Ca and Mg don't qualify.

Some water systems for large cities are set up to partially remove some of the Ca and Mg by treating the water with lime, but this doesn't mean cities are required to do that -- it's just part of the services provided to their citizens.

Water quality can vary so much even between places a few miles or kilometers apart, so it makes no sense to compare the water quality between countries. The water quality depends on the source of the water -- lakes, reservoirs, streams, or underground aquifers. If your drinking water comes from a well or wells, the specific aquifer (layer of water) from which the water comes will greatly affect the water quality. If your water comes from a deep well versus a shallow one, you are likely to see big differences in the mineral content. Deep wells pull "older" water that is more likely to contain iron, sulfur, and other dissolved minerals, for example.

You'd have to go to your local authorities to see what your drinking water quality is. In Iowa, you can go to the city hall or county sanitarian and ask for that information if you live in a town with a municipal water supply. If your water comes from a private well, you would have to test the water yourself.

The bottom line, however, is that for chemistry purposes, water from the tap contains some level of minerals and other contaminants. Those contaminants can affect the outcome of a chemical reaction. For the most consistent results, distilled or high quality deionized water is best.

 

[dibbles]

Water quality can vary so much even between places a few miles or kilometers apart, so it makes no sense to compare the water quality between countries. The water quality depends on the source of the water -- lakes, reservoirs, streams, or underground aquifers. If your drinking water comes from a well or wells, the specific aquifer (layer of water) from which the water comes will greatly affect the water quality. If your water comes from a deep well versus a shallow one, you are likely to see big differences in the mineral content. Deep wells pull "older" water that is more likely to contain iron, sulfur, and other dissolved minerals, for example.

This is so true, DeeAnna. We live in an area "famous" for having a lot of iron in our water, and we have a well. We have enough iron in our water that in addition to a water softener, we installed a separate filtration system. This has pretty much eliminated the orange film we used to have on our showers, sinks and toilets. Our refrigerator also has a filter for our drinking water, and it is odorless and tasteless. Our neighbors directly across the street have no iron issues with their water.

 

[LilyJo]

In the UK, unless I am mistaken, there is a minimum standard quality for all potable water regardless of where you live or where the water comes from. I guess thats the difference with the UK to the US, your laws are much more fragmented into State laws whereas the size of the UK allows us to have a common standard.

There is a recommendation on water hardness from "The World HealthOrganisation Guidelines 2004 has identified that water with a hardness of value of 200 mg/l orhigher (measured as calcium carbonate) will produce scale and soft water with a value of 100 mg/l(as calcium carbonate) or less will have a low buffering capacity and be more corrosive to pipes" and it appears that water in the UK is generally softened by water companies to a minimum level of 150 mg/l for health reasons. I suspect that the size of the US means that this may apply in some areas and not in others.

I understand the differences that occur naturally between original water sources and natural geographic variations across even relatively small distances but I guess I was just curious to understand how the water quality in the US differs to that in the UK. Do you allow flouride, what about lead pipes, is there a parts per million level for effluent that kind of thing.

It doesnt really matter I was just curious as to whether water quality differed enough to make a marked difference when making soap - at the end of the day it will be personal choice and experience. And regardless of where you live the definition of hard water will be a subjective thing.

 

[earlene]

LillyJo, I found some info via a Google search on water purity levels globally, but I don't think that actually addresses your questions. Here are some links:

http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/global_drinking_water_quality_index.pdf
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/quality.shtml
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/6-reasons-why-we-need-clean-water-for-all/


Anyway, the results tend to address water for drinking purposes and to prevent the spread of disease, not water for making soap.

And as far as laws or what is allowed or not, I don't think any of this pertains to soapmaking. There are not laws or regulations of which I am aware in the US or even other countries that address purity or even type of water to be used in soap making. Of course, I don't know everything about everything, and I especially don't know about laws or regulations pertaining to countries other than my own as regards to soap making. Even in my own country, I surely don't know all the laws and regulations, either, but so far as I have learned, 'water' is simply 'water' when it comes to making soap and in the US, our regulations/laws are really very non-restrictive compared to those in the EU, for example.