Hard Water Hard water dries out skin and makes hair brittle. It causes soap scum in tubs and showers and spots on faucets and fixtures. It also causes scaling (off-white, chalky deposits) in appliances, which results in less efficiency and costly repairs.

Iron and Manganese Iron and manganese can leave rust stains on clothing, appliances and fixtures. What’s more, these metals can make your water taste and smell bad.

Rotten Egg Smell Hydrogen sulfide can give your water an unpleasant taste and smell, sometimes even rendering it unusable.

Chlorine Taste or Smell The taste and smell of chlorine are unappealing and can also dry out your skin and hair. While municipalities use chlorine to disinfect the water supply, it should be filtered out before you use it to eliminate these effects.

Corrosive Water Water with a low pH is acidic and can erode pipes and leave blue and green stains behind. Drinking corrosive water can cause health concerns, as it may contain the metals from pipes.