What the World Health Organization Says About Hard Water — And Why the Answer Will Surprise You

The World Health Organization has been publishing guidelines for drinking water quality since the 1950s. They have set maximum values for dozens of parameters — pesticides, heavy metals, bacteria, viruses.

For water hardness? There is no maximum value. At all.

The fourth edition of the guidelines (2022) states: “No health-based guideline value has been proposed for water hardness in drinking water.” This stance has remained unchanged throughout all four editions.

So, is hard water safe to drink?

That’s not the right question. The WHO classifies water hardness as an issue of convenience and cost — not health. There is no risk in drinking it, but the damage is to equipment: shortened appliance lifespan, higher heating costs, reduced efficiency of water heaters, pipe blockages.

The European Union doesn’t regulate it either

The European Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 — one of the strictest in the world — does not include water hardness as a mandatory parameter. Just like the WHO.

What this means in practice

No external body is protecting your building’s equipment. The decision falls on the building committee, management company, or developer.

Mi-Ad installs a single central system on the building’s main water line. 85% reduction in scale — according to company tests approved by the Standards Institute and NSF. Cost per apartment: less than 50 ₪ per month (depending on the building size).

📞 Nir Ben Zvi — 052-6124600

Sources: WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 4th edition (2022) | EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184

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