Answers to customer questions from "Plain Talk About Drinking Water", a publication of the American Water Works Association. © 1997. Reprinted with permission

•What is hard water?

•When I put cubes that I've made in my freezer into a glass of water, white stuff appears in glass as the ice cubes melt. What is the white stuff and where does it come from?

•Should I install a water softener in my home?

•Why does my dishwater leave spots on my glasses?

•What is that white stuff in my coffee pot and on my showerhead and glass shower door? How can I get rid of it?