Yes. Most of Northern Michigan has an average of 12-15 grains per gallon, which falls into the category of "very hard"
Healthy Back-to-School Water Habits for Northern Michigan-Area Families
As students in Northern Michigan head back to the classroom, families are settling into new schedules and routines. Back-to-school preparation may start with school supplies, clothes, and class schedules, but it is also a good time to think about the everyday habits that help keep a household running smoothly.
From filling reusable water bottles in the morning to washing school clothes and preparing lunches, water is part of many daily back-to-school routines. Paying attention to hydration and the quality of the water used throughout the home can help families start the school year with habits that are easy to maintain.
Quick Take on Northern Michigan Water
With every city's municipal water being different, knowing the quality of your water as well as ways to boost the amount of water your family consumes daily is important.
Does Northern Michigan have hard water?
Northern Michigan's municipal water is very hard, with an average hardness of about 12-15 grains per gallon. This can affect laundry and leave spots on dishes and glassware. This level is not exactly harmful to humans, but appliances, clothing, and other items can take a hit from continued use with elevated hardness.
What snacks help kids stay hydrated?
Adding water-rich snacks like watermelon, celery, and cucumber helps to provide extra nutrients and extra water consumption due to the high level of water that is naturally found in these foods. Combining these foods with a reusable water bottle can help maximize the amount of hydration someone can get.
Make Hydration Part of the School-Day Routine
Staying hydrated is important for children throughout the school day. Research published through the National Library of Medicine has examined the relationship between hydration and areas such as attention, memory, and cognitive performance in children.
One of the simplest ways parents can encourage regular hydration is by making water easy and enjoyable to drink. Filling a reusable bottle before school, keeping cold water available at home, and serving water with meals can all help make drinking water part of the daily routine.
Taste and odor can also affect how appealing household water is. In Northern Michigan, Chlorine taste, odors, minerals, and other water quality concerns can vary from one home or community to another. If a family does not enjoy the taste or smell of its tap water, a drinking water filtration system may help address the specific issues present in the home's water.
Reverse osmosis systems are one option for families looking for advanced drinking water treatment. RO systems use a semipermeable membrane along with additional filtration stages to reduce a range of dissolved substances and other impurities. Systems like the Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station® and Kinetico HYDRO® ECO™ are designed to treat water used for drinking, cooking, and more.
Improve Your Water Today!
Start The School Year With Better Water
Build Hydration Into Lunch and Snack Time
Water does not have to come only from a glass or reusable bottle. Many fruits and vegetables naturally contain high amounts of water and can be easy additions to school lunches and after-school snacks.
Watermelon, oranges, cucumbers, celery, and bell peppers are a few examples. Pairing water with fruits, vegetables and other balanced foods can make hydration a natural part of the school day.
A reusable water bottle can also make it easier for students to keep water nearby. Families can make filling and packing the bottle part of the morning routine, just like packing lunch or checking a backpack.
Having cleaner, better-tasting drinking water available right from the kitchen can make this routine even easier.
Don't Forget About the Laundry Room
Back-to-school season often means new clothes, school uniforms, athletic wear, and plenty of laundry. While detergent and proper washing techniques matter, the quality of the water going into the washing machine can also affect laundry.
Hard water is especially relevant for Northern Michigan homeowners. Much of the municipal water averages about 11 grains per gallon of hardness, which is considered very hard. Water hardness can vary in surrounding communities, particularly in homes supplied by private wells. Families in communities such as Clare, Traverse City, Mount Pleasant, Saginaw, and Bay City may notice signs of hard water such as spots on dishes, mineral buildup around faucets and fixtures, or difficulty getting soaps and detergents to lather.
A water softener is designed specifically to address hardness minerals. With softened water, soaps and detergents can work more effectively, helping clothes wash more efficiently while reducing hard water scale throughout the home's plumbing and water-using appliances.
For busy households dealing with hard water, a whole-home Kinetico water softener can help address the problem at the point where water enters the home. This means softened water can be available for laundry, showers, sinks, and many other everyday household uses.
Start With Your Northern Michigan Home's Water
Every home's water is different. Water quality can vary based on the community, water source, plumbing, and other local conditions. That means there is no single water treatment system that is right for every household; even your neighbor could have different water issues than you.
A professional water test can help identify hardness and other common water quality concerns and provide useful information before choosing a treatment system.
As the school year gets underway, small changes to everyday routines can make life around the home a little easier. Keeping drinking water readily available, packing water-rich foods, taking care of school clothes, and understanding the quality of the water throughout the home are simple places to start.
Kinetico Water Systems - Mt. Pleasant Office
4765 E Pickard, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48858
(989) 601-8759
Kinetico Water Systems - Mt. Pleasant Office
4543 US-31 South, Traverse City, MI, 49685
(989) 601-8759
Hours:
Monday: 8 am - 5 pm
Tuesday: 8 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: 8 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 8 am - 5 pm
Friday: 8 am - 5 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Water Wellness Frequently Asked Questions
Understand more about Northern Michigan's drinking water.