Water Quality and Your Health 2026 – Guide for SD & MN | Applied Water Midwest

The quality of your drinking water has a direct impact on your family’s health and quality of life. At Applied Water Technologies, we’ve helped thousands of families in Eastern South Dakota and Western Minnesota understand and address their water quality issues. This guide explains what’s in your water and what it means for your health.

Hard Water and Your Body

While drinking hard water is generally safe, the effects on daily life add up. Hard water reacts with soap to form insoluble soap scum that leaves a film on skin and hair. Many people with dry skin, eczema, or psoriasis notice significant improvement after installing a water softener. Hard water also leaves mineral deposits on shower tiles, shower glass, and plumbing fixtures.

Hair washed with hard water often becomes brittle and difficult to manage. The mineral coating that hard water leaves on hair strands prevents conditioner and styling products from working effectively. After softening, both skin and hair typically show noticeable improvement within weeks.

PFAS and Long-Term Health

PFAS forever chemicals are the most urgent health concern in drinking water in 2026. Long-term exposure has been associated with kidney cancer, thyroid disease, reduced vaccine response, and other serious conditions. Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. See our complete PFAS guide 2026 for full details and protection options.

Lead and Children’s Development

There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Even low-level lead exposure has been linked to reduced IQ, behavioral problems, and developmental delays. If your home was built before 1986 or if you’re unsure about your service line material, lead testing and a certified RO system for drinking water are essential investments. Learn about our RO systems here.

Benefits of Filtered Water for Your Family

• Better-tasting water encourages hydration — especially important for children
• Elimination of chlorine taste and odor from municipal water
• Reduced exposure to potentially harmful contaminants including lead, arsenic, and PFAS
• Softer skin and hair from eliminating hard water
• Safer cooking and food preparation water

Safe Water for Vulnerable Household Members

Certain household members have heightened water quality concerns:

• Infants and young children: Do not use tap water with elevated nitrates for infant formula. Nitrates above 10 mg/L can cause methemoglobinemia (“blue baby syndrome”) in infants under 6 months.
• Pregnant women: PFAS, lead, and other contaminants can cross the placental barrier. An RO system for drinking water is an important precaution.
• Immunocompromised individuals: May need additional treatment for microbiological safety, especially in well water systems.
• People with kidney disease: May need to limit certain minerals in drinking water — our specialists can advise on appropriate filtration.