Scottsdale, Arizona Water Hardness: Do I Need a Water Softener?
Hard water affects the lives of Scottsdale residents — some may not even fully realize the negative effects of hard water in Scottsdale, Arizona.
While approximately 85 percent of the United States population has hard water, there are varying degrees of it. Scottsdale residents are more impacted by the damaging effects of hard water because Arizona has some of the hardest water in the country.
If you live in the Scottsdale area, you should be informed about the water you’re using to drink, bathe, cook, do laundry, and wash dishes on a frequent basis. Here’s everything you need to know about your city’s water supply and how it’s affecting your home:
What Makes Water Hard?
The water you use in your Scottsdale home comes from reservoirs, rivers, lakes, and wells. Where does all of that water come from? Rainfall!
The water you’re using in your Scottsdale home originated as rainfall; rainwater is essentially soft water (meaning that it’s free from dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium). Water becomes hard as it falls, makes its way through rocks, rivers, and streams, and picks up minerals along the way to your water source at home. Hard water is water with high mineral content.
The City of Scottsdale Water report says, “Water hardness is a result of naturally occurring calcium and magnesium dissolved in water. As surface water makes its way to our treatment plants and groundwater flows through the aquifer, it picks up high concentrations of these minerals, making the water hard.”
Is Hard Water Really That Bad?
Most people don’t like using hard water in their homes. Why? Hard water causes buildup on plumbing fixtures, spotting on dishes, wear and tear on appliances, and dries out hair and skin.
The negative impacts of water don’t stop there. Hard water can leave stains on clothes, towels, and sheets. The mineral buildup could also cause clothes to not last as long — not great news for your favorite pair of jeans!
If you live in Scottsdale, Arizona, you might refuse to drink tap water because of its bad taste. Most people dislike the taste of hard water because you can taste the high mineral content. Even if you don’t drink tap water without a filtration system, you might start to wonder how water with that high mineral content could have negative effects in other areas.
Most homeowners in the Scottsdale area opt to purchase a water softener to avoid paying a plumber hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to fix their home’s plumbing system that was ruined by the extremely hard water in the area.
How Hard is the Water in Scottsdale, Arizona?
Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon of water (gpg). Here’s a water hardness scale to get a clearer picture of Scottsdale’s water hardness levels:
- Anything less than 1 grain per gallon is considered soft
- Slightly hard: 1 - 3.5 grains per gallon
- Moderately hard: 3.5 - 7 grains per gallon
- Hard: 7 - 10 grains per gallon
- Very hard: anything over 10 grains per gallon
According to the table from Scottsdale’s latest Water Quality report, the city’s current water hardness levels fall between 16-25 grains per gallon. These numbers indicate that Scottsdale’s water is considered “very hard.”
The water in Phoenix is also considered to be “very hard” at 10.1 to 16.2 grains per gallon. You might notice that Scottsdale water could be described as extremely hard because the grains per gallon far surpass the water hardness levels in Phoenix. In fact, the higher end of Phoenix’s water hardness is the lower end of Scottsdale’s water hardness. You can find the water hardness in your precise area of Scottsdale below:
You’re not alone if you’re wondering why the city allows extremely hard water to be used in your Scottsdale home. Here’s the thing: hard water is considered safe to drink (it doesn’t mean it’s beneficial to use in your home).
The City of Scottsdale Water report says, “Hardness is not a primary water quality standard. It may present aesthetic concerns, but it is not considered to be a health risk. Scottsdale Water is committed to providing our customers with the cleanest and safest drinking water possible, at an affordable price. We could implement additional treatment processes to address hardness, but these processes are not cost-effective, especially considering about 70 percent of residential water consumption is used outdoors.”
Essentially, Scottsdale water officials don’t want to implement water softeners to address the city’s hard water because it wouldn’t make sense financially.
Should You Get a Water Softener in Your Scottsdale Home?
While it doesn’t financially make sense for Scottsdale to introduce water softeners to address the city’s “really hard” water, it makes sense for you to get a water softener in your Scottsdale home.
Not only will it save you money in the long run, but using a water softener will allow you to better enjoy using and drinking the water in your home!
