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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.
Hard water is tap water thatâs high in minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Hard water isnât harmful, except the minerals prevent your soap from sudsing. Some people think that hard water is more likely to cause a rash than soft water. Take a recent patient of mine: he moved his family to San Diego from the East Coast (good move this winter, no). After they moved here, they noticed their skin became dry and itchy.