How can i keep my hair from getting damaged by hard water?

I have lived in Florida for 18 years and the water here never seem to bother by hair. Ever since i went off to college in Tennessee my hair has become dry and damaged. I had really bad split ends that i recently got cut. there was about 2 inches that i got cut off and still more damage but i didnt want to have to cut all my hair off. We have a water softener at home but i cannot afford another one to take with me to college. I heard vinegar is good for this sort of thing but is there anything else i should do to keep it from getting this bad again? im trying to grow my hair out and i dont want to have to cut this much off again. is there a way to repair the damage that is still in my hair? and what are ways to prevent it again? thank you ahead of time =]