Okay, this one requires a tiny bit of tech. A TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter is a cheap little gadget you can buy online for about the price of a fancy sandwich. You just dip it in a cup of water and read the number.
Water hardness(1) testing | PPTX
Numbers below 50 ppm (parts per million)? Very soft. 50-100 ppm? Moderately soft. 100-200 ppm? Slightly hard, like a math test. Above 200 ppm? That’s Hard Water City, population: your pipes.
Anything over 400 ppm is basically liquid chalk. You could probably write on the sidewalk with it. But don’t. That’s weird.
Where is water hardest in the U.S.?
If you live in the Midwest or Southwest, you’re probably battling hard water like a Viking. Think Texas, Arizona, and Indiana. If you’re in New England or the Pacific Northwest, you’re sipping soft water like royalty. Lucky ducks.
