Some 12,000 Aboite Township residents have softer water after Aqua Indiana opened the valves of its new water-softening tanks Wednesday morning at its Covington Road facility.

The first phase of Aqua Indiana's $3.5 million project to provide softer water to all its 23,000 customers by year's end affects residents from Illinois Road south to U.S. 24, and West Hamilton Road east to the county line road. The immediate area around the Covington Road plant was served first because the plant is the smallest of Aqua Indiana's two others.

The remaining 13,000-odd customers Aqua Indiana serves should receive softer water by the new year, said company Vice President and General Manager Bill Etzler.

“I've talked to several people, and they're really looking forward to it,” said Etzler. “Those customers will see big savings.”

That's because on top of paying $500 to $1,500 for a softening system, an average 40-pound bag of water-softening chemicals costs about $8, Etzler said. Depending on a family's water usage, Etzler said a home can average two bags a month.

That adds up.

Soft water from Aqua Indiana will run an average household $1.50 a month, or about $18 a year, for the service, Etzler said.

“It's going to be much less costly,” said Etzler.

The new tanks will soften 500 gallons of water per minute, Etzler said.

Soft water has many benefits: It's cheaper, it lathers soap easily, it's better for plumbing and it retains heat longer. Soft water also eliminates deposits from smeared silverware and glassware and limits residue build-up in showers.

Aqua Indiana water softeners are pumping about 30 percent soft water; it will be ramped up to 100 percent by Thanksgiving, Etzler said. If the company were to go to 100 percent soft water immediately, the drastic change would likely damage the scale build-up in their lines, causing more harm than good.

Similarly, current customers will want to ease usage of their personal water softeners as Aqua Indiana increases their output. If a customer runs a softener while already receiving fully soft water, Etzler said the water will eat at plumbing fixtures and metal racks of dishwashers.

Aqua Indiana's 50-year-old plant Illinois Road plant, which is undergoing upgrades and is ahead of schedule, will complete the provider's full turnover to soft water.