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See also: Water softening. Soft water is surface water that contains low concentrations of ions and in particular is low in ions of calcium and magnesium. Soft water naturally occurs where rainfall and the drainage basin of rivers are formed of hard, impervious and calcium poor rocks.ecause soft water has few calcium ions, there is no inhibition of the action of soaps and no soap scum is formed in normal washing. Similarly, soft water produces no calcium deposits in water heating systems. Water that is not soft is referred to as hard water.
by Hardly Waite. Authorâs Note: The piece below is adapted from an earlier version that appeared in the Pure Water Occasional for June, 2010. The water softener is the flagship product of the modern water treatment industry. Traditional water treatment âdealershipsâ have been built around the water softener for decades. The softener is commonly said to have been introduced in 1903, although the details of its origin are sketchy. Here is the Culligan version of the origin of the softener, from Culliganâs website: Emmett Joseph Culligan grew up in a farming background in the hard water areas of South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. He was well aware of the difference between hard well water and the soft rain water most families collected in cisterns.