As a homeowner at the Lake of the Ozarks, you've more than likely already learned that we've got some very hard water here. Hard water problems at the Lake of the Ozarks can wreak havoc on your plumbing, appliances and even your hair and skin. You're probably wondering if investing in a water softener would be worth the money. Part of knowing that your investment is making a difference is understanding how a water softener works and why it's essential to have one in your home. So first, let's take a look at the difference between hard and soft water and which is better for your home.

Hard Water vs. Soft Water
Water quality differs depending on where you live and whether you’re getting water from a municipality or a private well. Regardless as to where it comes from though, both sources are known to contain hardness minerals. Calcium and magnesium are the most common minerals found in water that causes hardness. Minerals from groundwater - the source of all water regardless of whether it comes to your home from a municipality or well - can cause a scaly buildup on everything from dishes, to pipes, to the heating elements of your appliances, to your own body. Water softeners remove those hard minerals, prolonging the life of appliances that use water and making it easier to clean and do laundry.

How Hard Water Becomes Soft
So how do water softeners get the minerals out? Water softeners use a process called ion exchange to remove things like calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese – replacing them with sodium ions. As hard water passes through your water softener tank, calcium or magnesium are pulled to the media like a magnet, and sodium ions take their place. All the hardness minerals stay trapped inside the water softener tank while the clean water, with a few sodium ions, disperse throughout your home for use. No more scaly build up!

Regeneration is how a water softening system cleans and recharges itself so it can continue providing your home with soft water. This process happens in the brine tank, where you add water softener salt. During regeneration, the water softener will take the brine solution into the softener tank and the ion exchange process happens again, only this time in reverse. The media gets a bath in the salt solution. Hard minerals caught in the resin are released and the media gets replenished with sodium ions. The water softener is also cleaned and disinfected during regeneration. Finally, water containing the hard minerals and other waste gets flushed out of the system.

Do You Need a Water Softener?
Here's the bottom line. Water softeners aren't just for those homes whose water supply comes from a private well with extremely hard water. Even people living in the city who are on municipality water sources can have hard water too. Municipalities are required to treat the water for impurities, but they do not remove hardness minerals because, while they're burdensome and can be costly when it comes to home care and maintenance, they are not harmful to your health. Regardless as to where your water comes from, the modern home depends on soft water. High efficiency appliances can not run as designed when they suffer from hard water build up. Dishwashers and washing machines could end up with a much shorter lifespan because of hard water. You could end up spending thousands on avoidable plumbing and appliance repairs or replacement by installing a water softener in your home.

When it comes to drinking water, recent surveys have shown that bottled water drinkers choose their drinks based off of taste (99%), quality (99%), and safety (92%). People often turn to bottled water because they think it’s a safer alternative and it tastes better than their tap water. But, is bottled water really as pure as you think?

Unfortunately, recent studies show it may not be. Research recently revealed that while meeting FDA standards, some types of bottled water still contain potentially unsafe levels of arsenic. Over the last decade, Consumer Reports has studied water reports for over 130 bottled water brands. The result? At least 11 bottled water brands had detectable amounts of arsenic.

This issue became even more prominent between late 2016 and early 2017 when Whole Foods’ water brand, Starkey Water, recalled 2,000 cases of bottled water. Tests showed an unacceptable level of arsenic, which exceeded the federally mandated limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb). Just one year later, however, the same company’s internal testing showed that their results were just under the federal limit, but still close enough to create health concerns if regularly consumed.

Today, Consumer Reports is urging another full recall of certain bottled water brands and requesting stricter federal standards in its recent article.

What is Arsenic and How Does it Affect the Body?
Arsenic is a naturally-occurring element found in rocks and soil and is used in the agriculture industry as a pesticide. It can end up in the water supply when certain types of rocks and minerals erode over time or from agricultural runoff.

Arsenic is tasteless and odorless. It can be highly toxic at certain levels, which is why the EPA set the standard for drinking water at 10 ppb or less. It’s not often we have to measure anything by parts per billion, but to put it in perspective we can think of an average 16’x50’ swimming pool that holds 10,000 gallons of water. If you take an eye dropper and squeeze in 10 drops of orange juice, that swimming pool now has 10 ppb of orange juice in it.

Scale that ratio down to the amount of water inside the bottle you just picked up from the grocery store, and the amount of acceptable arsenic inside is minuscule!

According to the EPA, non-cancer side effects of drinking water with elevated levels of arsenic include:

• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Numbness in hands and feet
• Partial paralysis
• Blindness
• Discoloration of skin
• Long-term, chronic exposure has been linked to cancers, says the EPA.

The possible health risks of arsenic are precisely the reason drinking water, such as bottled or municipal water, is required to be tested. It’s also the reason why Consumer Reports and other independent researchers are trying to get the federal limit for arsenic in water to be lowered from 10 ppb to 3 ppb.

What’s the Difference in Bottled Water?
When you go to the grocery store today, you’re likely overwhelmed by bottled water options. Spring water, purified water, distilled water… what’s the difference and how is it treated?

The key differences in bottled water are the water source and the type of filtration. For instance, spring water comes from a natural underground aquifer and goes through a filtration process to remove particles and unwanted contaminants – this is likely a type of carbon filtration to improve taste and odor. Spring water contains natural minerals and contaminants.

Purified or distilled water generally comes from municipal tap water or spring water, goes through an additional purification process such as deionization, distillation, or possibly reverse osmosis that would reduce arsenic content. The problem is that consumers don’t always know how the water is treated because of bottled water brands’ unclear labeling.

At the end of the day, everything sounds like it’s been purified properly, but as Consumer Reports’ research revealed, contaminants such as arsenic may still exist.

What are the Alternatives to Bottled Water?
As a consumer, it’s hard to know what’s pure and what’s not. The good news is that there are alternatives that are not only safer to consume, but come right from the faucet in your home. An R.O. system is the best way to get great-tasting, pure drinking water for your home. With an R.O. system, you can drastically reduce unwanted contaminants.

R.O. systems have a special membrane that filters out many microscopic organisms and heavy metals such as:

• arsenic
• barium
• chromium
• copper
• cyst (cryptosporidium)
• fluoride
• lead
• nitrates and nitrites (hexavalent & trivalent)
• radium
• selenium
• total dissolved solids (TDS)

Lindysprings Impression Series® R.O. systems are tested and certified for contaminant removal.


Say Goodbye to Bottled Water
When you switch to a safe alternative to bottled water, you not only reduce the risk of unhealthy amounts of arsenic consumption, but you reduce a lot of waste that often ends up unrecycled and in landfills. Water bottles can be expensive, and over time switching will likely pay for itself as you only pay pennies per gallon when you filter the water yourself versus individual bottles.

Count On Lindyspring Systems!
Lindyspring Systems offers a wide array of products and solutions to fit every water treatment need. We sell and lease residential and commercial water treatment systems at Lake of the Ozarks. Any type of water problem can be taken care of by us. We also deliver to your home or business 40 lb. bags of coarse solar salt and 40 lb. bags of potassium chloride. Do you want to learn more about the water services we provide? Visit our website for more information.

For All Your Household Water Conditioning and Treatment Needs Count on LINDYSPRING!

When it comes to taking care of appliances, water softeners typically require little maintenance. Although they are low maintenance, there are a few things you can do to make them work better and longer. This week, Lindyspring Systems shares with you a few things you can do to make sure your water softener continues to work its best.

Prevent Salt Bridging

Salt bridging occurs when the salt clumps together to form a hard crust in the brine tank and creates an empty space between the water and the salt. This prevents the salt from dissolving into the water to make brine. Without brine, the resin beads that soften your water can't do their job. You may have a salt bridge if you notice that your tank appears to be full, but you can tell that your water isn't soft. Typical causes of bridging are using the wrong kind of salt, high humidity, or temperature changes around the water softener. If you've got bridging in your tank, try to break up the clumped up salt and remove it from the sides of the tank. You can prevent this from happening in the future by periodically checking your brine tank, breaking up any built up salt, and occasionally having it professionally cleaned.

Choose the Right Salt

There are three basic types of water softener salt: rock, solar and evaporated. Rock salt, the least expensive, contains higher levels of insoluble minerals or impurities. Over time, this can result in a muddy tank, decreasing the softening efficiency while leaving impurities in your water. Solar salt, which is much more soluble than rock salt, is obtained by the evaporation of seawater and is found in both pellet and crystal form. The next option is evaporated salt, which is obtained through a combination of mining and evaporation. Lindyspring carries solar salt, which is up to 99.8% pure salt. We can deliver to your home or business 40 lb. bags of coarse solar salt and 40 lb. bags of potassium chloride.

Call Lindyspring Systems

Sometimes your busy schedule just doesn't allow for self-maintenance. That's when you should call Lindyspring. Lindyspring Systems is the oldest independent water treatment company in the Lake area, dating back to 1970. We service Osage Beach and the entire Lake of the Ozarks area. With a large customer base of homes and businesses, we are large enough to respond quickly when you need us and still small enough to give good old-fashioned personal service. The reputation of the company is very important to us. Professionalism and great service above all else is what we strive for. Our mission is to provide great water here at the Lake and prompt service. Chances are if you are having dinner at a local restaurant or staying here in a hotel or condo complex our equipment is there providing clean water. Water heater replacement can also be done by our company.


With these handy tips, you're more likely to get the most use and life out of your water treatment system. But if you're not sure whether your water softener is running as it should, give the most experienced water treatment company at the Lake of the Ozarks a call. We'll be glad to take a look at your system and take care of any needed maintenance for you. Any type of water problem can be taken care of by us, and we can service many brands. Contact us today to schedule your routine maintenance check up and feel confident that when Lindyspring Systems handles your water treatment system at the Lake of the Ozarks, you're in good hands!

For All Your Household Water Conditioning and Treatment Needs Count on LINDYSPRING!

August is National Water Quality Month! This is a great reminder to many of us that it takes much more than just turning on the tap to guarantee clean, potable water. Between bathing, cleaning, household waste, and drinking water, the average person uses approximately 80 gallons of water or more per day. Protecting our water resources and educating ourselves about water quality is an important part of ensuring that our water sources remain clean and potable. Here are some of the benefits of quality water in your residence or business at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Water and Health Are Linked
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (better known as the CDC), the top causes of disease outbreaks related to drinking water are Giardia intestinalis, hepatitis A, norovirus, and Shigella. As bad as that sounds, it’s far from a complete list. There are also health risks related to water contamination from organic and inorganic matter, other bacteria and viruses, and other pollutants. Some studies link high levels of lead in drinking water to delays in physical and mental development, short attention spans, and learning difficulties in children. There’s also evidence that arsenic in drinking water can lead to nerve, heart, skin, and blood vessel damage. And Cryptosporidium is responsible for potentially life threatening diarrhea.

Still, water is essential. The human body is about 70 percent water, and although a human being can survive a month or more without food, a week without water can be fatal. Yes, bad water is bad for you, but safe water is key to life! Water has so many health benefits that the CDC recommends drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. It is not hard to meet this, if you recognize that hydration can be achieved in various formats such as the water cooler at work, public drinking fountains, or the tap at home.

What Are You Waiting For?
As you can see, there are many great benefits to having good quality water available to you and your family. Not only can it save you money by allowing your appliances to run more efficiently, but you can also save money on detergents, soaps, etc. If you have any questions pertaining to water treatment at the Lake of the Ozarks or are interested in scheduling a time for us to come out to your home to determine which system would best fit your needs, contact Lindyspring Systems today!

For All Your Household Water Conditioning and Treatment Needs Count on LINDYSPRING!

While there are regulations for municipal water supplies, wells are not regulated as they are typically privately owned. So, it's up to the homeowner to be educated and remain cautious when consuming well water. Nitrate is a common contaminant found in many wells. Too much nitrate in drinking water can cause serious health problems for young infants, pregnant women, and those that have low pH stomach acid. Here's what you need to know.