We've just moved here and there is no doubt that the water is hard. Most of the southeast relies on groundwater, so it is not all that surprising.
What IS surprising, is that people don't have water softeners like the poster above. In Waterloo (Canada), I'd say that the majority of homeowners had them. I asked a few people here, and they have never even heard of them! If I had money to put in a business, this doesn't seem like a bad one to invest in.
Thanks
Dr. PITUK