People may think water softeners are a luxury or only necessary if you have a private well with extremely hard water. That’s not quite right. If you do have a well, you will probably need a water softener, and possibly other types of filtration to improve the water quality.
Cities are required to treat the water for impurities, but they do not remove hardness minerals because they are not harmful to your health.
The modern home depends on soft water. High efficiency appliances may not run as designed when they suffer from calcium or hard water build up. Dishwashers and washing machines could end up with a much shorter lifespan because of hard water. If you notice a lot of soap scum around your home, if your towels are hard and stiff, or if you have a hard time getting a bubbly lather in the shower … you may have hard water problems.