Why Is Central Florida Water So Hard?

The short answer

Because most of our water comes from the Floridan aquifer, which sits in limestone. As groundwater moves through that rock, it dissolves calcium and magnesium. Those minerals are harmless to drink, but they leave scale on fixtures, spots on glass, soap scum in the shower and buildup inside your water heater. A softener removes them before they reach your plumbing.

Where the minerals come from

Rain soaks into the ground and moves through limestone, which is mostly calcium carbonate. Along the way it dissolves calcium and magnesium. Utilities treat and disinfect that water. Unless yours also softens it, those minerals come right into your home.

How hard is your water?

Hardness (as calcium carbonate)	USGS classification
0 to 60 mg/L	Soft
61 to 120 mg/L	Moderately hard
121 to 180 mg/L	Hard
Over 180 mg/L	Very hard

OUC reports an average of 129 ppm, about 7 grains per gallon, which is hard. Other utilities and neighborhoods differ, so we test at your tap before we set a softener.

What it does to your home

Scale on showerheads, faucets, glass doors and dishwasher racks.
Buildup inside water heaters, coffee makers and appliances that heat water.
Soap scum and less lather, so you use more soap and detergent.
Spots on glassware and a film on fixtures you’re always scrubbing.

Is hard water safe to drink?

Yes. Hardness is a cleaning and maintenance problem, not a health hazard. Calcium and magnesium are ordinary minerals. People soften water for their homes, their appliances and how the water feels.

How a softener fixes it

A softener runs water through resin beads that capture calcium and magnesium and trade them for sodium or potassium. Salt recharges the resin when it’s full. The result is water that lathers easily, rinses clean and stops building new scale.

Resin quality matters. We use 10 percent cross-linked resin, which stands up to chlorine wear better than conventional 8 percent resin, and a demand-metered valve that recharges only when you’ve actually used the capacity.

Softening plus filtration

A softener handles hardness, not chlorine taste. That’s why HydroOne and HydroDuo put catalytic carbon and KDF ahead of the softening resin, so you get both jobs done in one system. See how the treatments fit together.

How Sunstorm treats the whole home

We use the highest-performing multi-stage media we can buy, size it to your water and household, and add reverse osmosis where you drink.

Every tap

HydroOne or HydroDuo

Catalytic carbon, KDF and 10% cross-linked softening resin treat the water where it enters your home, so every shower, sink and appliance gets filtered, soft water.

See HydroOne →

Kitchen tap

HydroSip RO

Four-stage reverse osmosis under the sink with its own faucet, for drinking water, coffee, cooking and ice.

See HydroSip →

Want RO at every tap? We install Hydro360 whole-home reverse osmosis too. For most homes, filtration and softening plus kitchen RO is the better value: the same drinking water at the sink, without paying to purify the water you shower, flush and wash with. See Hydro360

See packages and prices Help me choose a system

Questions homeowners ask

Is Orlando water hard?

Yes. OUC reports an average of 129 ppm, about 7 grains per gallon, in the hard range.

Do salt-free conditioners remove hardness?

No. They’re designed to change how scale forms, not to remove the minerals. A softener is the proven way to take hardness out.

Does a carbon filter remove hardness?

No. Carbon handles chlorine taste and smell. Softening resin removes calcium and magnesium.

Why do I still see some spots after softening?

Silica, detergent and other dissolved material can leave spots too. A hardness test tells you whether the softener is doing its job.