If you live in Los Angeles, you may be wondering if your water is hard. The answer to this question is yes, Los Angeles has hard water.
In fact, according to the California Water Resources Control Board, over 90% of the state has hard water. This means that the water in these areas contains high levels of calcium and magnesium.
If you are having problems with your plumbing or appliances, it may be due to the hardness of your water. Hard water can cause pipes to become clogged and wear down appliances over time. Hardness means its mineral content is greater than 60 ppm.
In this blog post, we discuss the hardness of Los Angeles’ water, what causes hard water, and how you can deal with it. Keep reading to learn more about water hardness in LA.
Read my article about water hardness in other cities.
Does Los Angeles Have Hard Water?
Los Angeles water is hard. The average hardness in Los Angeles is 127 parts per million (ppm). This is the same as 7.4 grains per gallon (gpg).
Water is considered hard when it contains 7 to 10.5 grains per gallon (gpg) of calcium and magnesium.
Los Angeles’ water hardness averages between 6.5 and 14 gpg. Despite being hard, Los Angeles water is safe to drink.
Consequently, many Angelenos have to put up with the numerous side effects that come from using hard water. Hard water has elevated levels of calcium and magnesium, which creates problems for homeowners.
Some of the side effects of hard water include:
- Ugly brown stains on sinks and toiles
- Hair that is dull and dry
- Dry and itchy skin
- Faded and dingy clothes
- Low water pressure
Install a water softener to counteract the negative effects of calcium and magnesium minerals in your water. Continue reading to learn more about water softeners.
California tap water hardness
If you drink tap water in California, you should confirm that it’s safe and good. Fortunately, California tap water is generally safe to drink.
The table below summarizes the water hardness in Los Angeles and the major cities and towns in California.
| City | Average Hardness Calcium Carbonate mg/L | Average Hardness Grains per Gallon | Zip Code |
| Los Angeles | 127 ppm | 7 gpg | 90011 | 90044 | 90003 | 90026 | 90019 | 90022 | 90037 | 90042 | 90006 | 90004 | 90066 | 90001 | 90034 | 90018 | 90002 | 90063 | 90046 | 90024 | 90057 | 90047 | 90025 | 90065 | 90032 | 90033 | 90023 | 90016 | 90059 | 90027 | 90043 | 90007 | 90045 | 90005 | 90020 | 90031 | 90036 | 90029 | 90049 | 90012 | 90062 | 90008 | 90028 | 90039 | 90041 | 90035 | 90038 | 90061 | 90017 | 90064 | 90048 | 90015 | 90068 | 90040 | 90013 | 90077 | 90014 | 90056 | 90089 | 90010 | 90021 | 90058 | 90067 | 90073 | 90071 | 90079 | 90095 |
| Anaheim | 127 ppm | 7 gpg | 92804 | 92805 | 92801 | 92802 | 92806 | 92807 | 92808 |
| Bakersfield | 80 ppm | 5 gpg | 93307 | 93306 | 93312 | 93309 | 93308 | 93313 | 93304 | 93311 | 93305 | 93314 | 93301 |
| Bellflower | 230 ppm | 13 gpg | 90706 | 90707 |
| Buena Park | 236 ppm | 14 gpg | 90620 | 90621 | 90622 | 90623 | 90624 |
| Burbank | 271 ppm | 16 gpg | 91501 | 91502 | 91504 | 91505 | 91506 |
| Chino | 188 ppm | 11 gpg | 91710 | 91708 |
| Chula Vista | 194 ppm | 11 gpg | 91911 | 91910 | 91913 | 91915 | 91914 |
| Coachella | 140 ppm | 8 gpg | 92236 |
| Compton | 219 ppm | 13 gpg | 90059 | 90220 | 90221 | 90222 | 90223 | 90224 |
| Corona | 353 ppm | 21 gpg | 92882 | 92880 | 92879 | 92883 | 92881 |
| Cresent City | 59 ppm | 3 gpg | 95531 |
| El Monte | 270 ppm | 16 gpg | 91732 | 91731 |
| Fontana | 104 ppm | 6 gpg | 92355 | 92336 | 92337 |
| Fountain Valley | 199 ppm | 12 gpg | 92728 |
| Fountain Valley | 200 ppm | 12 gpg | 92708 |
| Fremont | 158 ppm | 9 gpg | 94536 | 94538 | 94539 | 94555 |
| Fresno | 123 ppm | 7 gpg | 93722 | 93727 | 93720 | 93702 | 93726 | 93706 | 93711 | 93705 | 93703 | 93710 | 93704 | 93725 | 93728 | 93723 | 93730 | 93701 | 93721 | 93650 |
| Fullerton | 254 ppm | 15 gpg | 92833 | 92831 | 92832 | 92835 |
| Garden Grove | 119 ppm | 7 gpg | 92840 | 92843 | 92841 | 92844 | 92845 |
| Gilroy | 236 ppm | 14 gpg | 95020 |
| Glendale | 259 ppm | 15 gpg | 91205 | 91206 | 91201 | 91202 | 91204 | 91208 | 91203 | 91207 | 91210 |
| Hemet | 192 ppm | 11 gpg | 92544 | 92545 | 92543 |
| Huntington Beach | 240 ppm | 14 gpg | 92647 | 92646 | 92648 | 92649 |
| Inglewood | 293 ppm | 17 gpg | 90301 | 90302 | 90303 | 90304 | 90305 | 90306 | 90307 | 90308 | 90309 | 90311 | 90312 |
| Irvine | 152 ppm | 9 gpg | 92620 | 92618 | 92612 | 92604 | 92614 | 92602 | 92606 | 92603 | 92617 |
| La Habra | 255 ppm | 15 gpg | 90631 |
| Laguna Niguel | 273 ppm | 16 gpg | 92607 | 92653 | 92677 |
| Lake Forest | 274 ppm | 16 gpg | 92609 | 92610 | 92630 | 92679 | 92691 |
| Livermore | 100 ppm | 6 gpg | 94550 | 94551 |
| Long Beach | 137 ppm | 8 gpg | 90805 | 90813 | 90806 | 90815 | 90802 | 90804 | 90808 | 90810 | 90803 | 90807 | 90814 | 90822 | 90831 |
| Lynwood | 262 ppm | 15 gpg | 90262 |
| Mecca | 393 ppm | 23 gpg | 92254 |
| Mendocino | 101 ppm | 5 gpg | 95460 |
| Menifee | 93 ppm | 5 gpg | 92584 | 92585 | 92586 | 92587 |
| Mission Viejo | 274 ppm | 16 gpg | 92653 | 92690 | 92691 | 92692 |
| Modesto | 224 ppm | 13 gpg | 95355 | 95350| 95351 | 95358 | 95356 | 95354 | 95357 |
| Newport Beach | 274 ppm | 16 gpg | 92603 | 92617 | 92625 | 92651 | 92657 | 92658 | 92659 | 92660 | 92661 | 92662 | 92663 |
| Norwalk | 267 ppm | 16 gpg | 90650 | 90651 | 90652 | 90670 |
| Oakland | 140 ppm | 8 gpg | 94601 | 94602 | 94603 | 94605 | 94606 | 94607 | 94609 | 94610 | 94611 | 94612 | 94613 | 94618 | 94619 | 94621 |
| Oceanside | 168 ppm | 10 gpg | 92057 | 92056 | 92058 | 92054 |
| Orange | 108 ppm | 6 gpg | 92867 | 92869 | 92868 | 92865 | 92866 |
| Oxnard | 285 ppm | 17 gpg | 93033 | 93030 | 93036 | 93035 |
| Pasadena | 255 ppm | 15 gpg | 91104 | 91107 | 91103 | 91106 | 91101 | 91105 |
| Pico Rivera | 241 ppm | 14 gpg | 90660 |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | 274 ppm | 16 gpg | 92679 | 92688 | 92692 |
| Redding | 31 ppm | 2 gpg | 96003 | 96001 | 96002 | 96049 |
| Redondo Beach | 370 ppm | 22 gpg | 90277 | 90278 |
| Riveside | 71 ppm | 4 gpg | 92503 | 92504 | 92507 | 92505 | 92506 | 92508 | 92501 |
| Roseville | 191 ppm | 11 gpg | 95661 | 95678 | 95747 |
| Sacramento | 150 ppm | 9 gpg | 95823 | 95828 | 95822 | 95831 | 95833 | 95835 | 95838 | 95826 | 95825 | 95820 | 95821 | 95842 | 95824 | 95834 | 95829 | 95815 | 95864 | 95818 | 95827 | 95841 | 95819 | 95816 | 95817 | 95832 | 95814 | 95811 | 95830 | 95837 | 94574 |
| Salinas | 160 ppm | 9 gpg | 93906 | 93905 | 93901 | 93907 | 93908 |
| San Bernardino | 249 ppm | 15 gpg | 92407 | 92404 | 92410 | 92405 | 92411 | 92408 | 92401 |
| San Clemente | 274 ppm | 16 gpg | 92672 | 92673 | 92674 |
| San Diego | 241 ppm | 15 gpg | 92154 | 92126 | 92105 | 92114 | 92115 | 92117 | 92113 | 92130 | 92129 | 92128 | 92111 | 92127 | 92122 | 92109 | 92104 | 92102 | 92101 | 92139 | 92103 | 92131 | 92116 | 92124 | 92123 | 92107 | 92110 | 92120 | 92119 | 92108 | 92106 | 92121 | 92140 | 92145 | 92135 | 92147 | 92155 | 92134 | 92132 |
| San Francisco | 47 ppm | 3 gpg | 94112 | 94110 | 94122 | 94109 | 94116 | 94117 | 94121 | 94134 | 94118 | 94124 | 94115 | 94114 | 94132 | 94102 | 94131 | 94107 | 94103 | 94133 | 94123 | 94127 | 94108 | 94105 | 94158 | 94129 | 94111 | 94130 | 94104 | 94128 |
| San Jose | 132 ppm | 8 gpg | 95123 | 95127 | 95111 | 95112 | 95122 | 95116 | 95125 | 95124 | 95148 | 95136 | 95132 | 95129 | 95121 | 95120 | 95128 | 95126 | 95118 | 95131 | 95117 | 95133 | 95134 | 95135 | 95138 | 95110 | 95130 | 95119 | 95139 | 95113 |
| Santa Barbara | 391 ppm | 23 gpg | 93101 | 93105 | 93103 | 93111 | 93110 | 93109 | 93108 |
| Santa Clarita | 271 ppm | 16 gpg | 91350 | 91390 |
| Santa Maria | 235 ppm | 14 gpg | 93453 | 93458 | 93455 | 93454 |
| Santa Monica | 114 ppm | 7 gpg | 90405 | 90403 | 90404 | 90402 | 90401 |
| Stockton | 194 ppm | 14 gpg | 95206 | 95207 | 95209 | 95210 | 95205 | 95219 | 95204 | 95212 | 95215 | 95203 | 95202 | 95211 |
| Sunnyvale | 300 ppm | 17 gpg | 94087 | 94086 | 94085 | 94089 |
| Temecula | 152 ppm | 9 gpg | 92592 | 92591 | 92590 |
| Torrance | 427 ppm | 25 gpg | 90248 | 90277 | 90278 | 90501 | 90503 | 90504 | 90505 | 90506 | 90507 | 90508 | 90509 | 90510 |
| Tracy | 143 ppm | 8 gpg | 95376 | 95377 | 95391 | 95304 |
| Turlock | 115 ppm | 7 gpg | 95380 | 95382 |
| Tustin | 312 ppm | 18 gpg | 92780 | 92782 |
| Union City | 89 ppm | 5 gpg | 94587 |
| Upland | 150 ppm | 9 gpg | 91784 | 91786 |
| Vacaville | 183 ppm | 11 gpg | 95687 | 95688 |
| Valencia | 268 ppm | 16 gpg | 91354 | 91355 |
| Vallejo | 129 ppm | 8 gpg | 94589 | 94590 | 94591 |
| Ventura | 666 ppm | 39 gpg | 93001 | 93003 | 93004 |
| Victorville | 31 ppm | 2 gpg | 92392 | 92394 | 92395 |
| Visalia | 81 ppm | 5 gpg | 93277 | 93291 | 93292 |
| Vista | 161 ppm | 9 gpg | 92081 | 92083 | 92084 |
| Walnut Creek | 78 ppm | 5 gpg | 94595 | 94596 | 94597 | 94598 |
| Watsonville | 252 ppm | 15 gpg | 95076 |
| West Corvina | 150 ppm | 9 gpg | 91790 | 91791 |
| West Sacramento | 65 ppm | 4 gpg | 95605 | 95691 |
| Westminster | 239 ppm | 14 gpg | 92683 |
| Whittier | 260 ppm | 15 gpg | 90601 | 90602 | 90603 | 90604 | 90605 | 90606 |
| Woodland | 63 ppm | 4 gpg | 95695 | 95776 |
| Yorba Linda | 274 ppm | 16 gpg | 92808 | 92885 | 92886 | 92887 |
| Yuba City | 58 ppm | 3 gpg | 95991 | 95993 |
California tap water ranges from soft to very hard. Most of the state’s tap water is moderately hard to hard. California hard water isn’t dangerous, it’s just a nuisance.
Learn about water hardness in these cities:
Does Norfolk have hard water?
Does Houston have hard water?
Why Is Los Angeles Water Hard?
The water in Los Angeles is considered hard because it is naturally high in mineral salts, including magnesium and calcium. Magnesium and calcium are the two minerals that make up what we call hardness.
Los Angeles tap water also contains other minerals like iron, copper, and calcium carbonate.
The concentration of calcium is very high in the groundwater that LA uses. The soils in this area are very rich in calcium carbonate. This mineral readily dissolves in groundwater as it flows through the soils and bedrock. The most calcium carbonate rich water comes from groundwater sources and the Colorado River Aqueduct.
The water that comes from the MWD is also high in hardness. This water is transported a very long distance.
Along the way, it flows over and through a variety of pipes, aqueducts, and waterways. Some of these structures are made of limestone, cement, and other materials that contain calcium.
The water dissolves the calcium and other minerals, which increases its hardness. By the time it reaches LA, the hardness level can be as high as 300 ppm.
Hardness from municipal water sources is common throughout the Los Angeles area.
Where Does Los Angeles Tap Water Come from?
The City of Los Angeles gets it water from three main sources. These are:
- The Los Angeles Aqueducts
- Local groundwater
- Supplemental water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD)
The following table summarizes all of the water supplies that provide drinking water to Los Angeles.
| Water Source | Percent of Total Water Supply |
| L.A. Aqueduct (from Eastern Sierra Nevada) | 38% |
| Purchased water (Metropolitan Water District) | 49% (Bay Delta 41%, Colorado River 8%) |
| Groundwater | 11% |
| Recycled water | 2% |
Los Angeles tap water comes from a variety of sources, which helps ensure it is safe and reliable.
Is LA tap water safe? In general, yes it is safe to drink Los Angeles tap water.
Water Source #1: The Los Angeles aqueducts
On average, the Los Angeles Aqueduct provides 70% of the city’s water supply. Every day, the Los Angeles Aqueduct delivers 430 million gallons of water to the city of Los Angeles from the Owens River, Mono Lake Basin, and reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This represents about one-third of Los Angeles’ water supply.
Water source #2: Groundwater
Thirty percent of California’s water supply is made up of groundwater – this is water that accumulates underground as a result of rain or runoff. Depending on the geography, some areas have easy access to groundwater while others depend on the surface or imported water for their needs.
Water Source #3: The MWD
MWD’s primary mission is to supplement water supplies for residential and public uses to its member agencies. The primary sources of MWD’s water are the State Water Project and Colorado River.
The State Water Project transports water from Oroville Dam to four delivery points near the northern and eastern boundaries of MWD’s service area.
The Colorado River Aqueduct is a water transportation system that brings water from the Colorado River to Lake Mathews in Riverside County.
Who Provides Water to Los Angeles
Water is provided to Los Angeles by the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts (LACWD). LACWD delivers water to more than 4 million residents. They have 733,900 active service connections.
LACWD samples their water supply for over 200 contaminants annually. They collect and analyze more than 35,000 samples every year. The water is sampled at different locations throughout the city.
What type of treatment is used to purify Los Angeles water?
Los Angeles tap water is disinfected using two methods: chloramine and ultraviolet (UV) light. Most of the water is treated with chloramine – a combination of chlorine and ammonia. The DWP operates 25 chlorination stations and 9 ammonia stations to eliminate bacteria and other pathogens.
Some of the city’s water is disinfected by UV light. The UV light zaps bacteria, making the water safe to drink and avoiding the use of chlorine. This method eliminates the need to add chlorine.
What Can I Do About Hardness in My Water
If you have hard water, there are several ways to reduce the amount of minerals in your water.
Install a water softener
The best option is to install a whole-house water softener system. This system filters out the calcium and other minerals, leaving you with softer and cleaner water.
Water softeners are designed to remove calcium and magnesium from the water supply. They use an ion exchange resin to reduce hardness. The resin is periodically regenerated with a brine solution.
Many people in Los Angeles and LA county have water softener systems to remove hardness from their tap water.
Install a reverse osmosis filter
Reverse osmosis is a water treatment method that removes a wide range of contaminants. It also reduces the level of hardness.
However, RO is not generally the best way to remove hardness because the calcium and magnesium ions can foul the membrane and pre-filters. This results in increased maintenance, higher costs, and reduced efficiency.
These drinking water systems are reliable for removing contaminants, but if you’re only worried about hardness, you should install a water softener instead.
Purchase bottled water
Another option is buying bottled or filtered water. Bottled water goes through an extensive filtration process to ensure it is safe to drink. Filtered water can be used in place of tap water for drinking and cooking.
This option does not address the issue of scale buildup in your plumbing or damage to your water using appliances.
FAQs
Does Los Angeles remove hardness from their tap water?
The Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts does not provide any treatment to remove or reduce the hardness of their drinking water. They routinely test the water for a variety of contaminants, including hardness. They are aware of how hard the water is and what hardness can do to pipes and plumbing fixtures, but they do not reduce the hardness. The main reason is that the cost of implementing a city-wide treatment program for hardness would be prohibitively expensive.
Can I drink tap water in Los Angeles?
In general, Los Angeles tap water is safe to drink. However, it does have detectable levels of several contaminants including trihalomethane, chromium 6, and lead. If you are concerned about these contaminants, you should consider adding treatment to reduce their concentrations in your drinking water.
Final Take
Los Angeles tap water is considered to be hard. The average hardness concentration is 127 ppm and 7.4 gpg.
The water in LA is hard because the groundwater and the water provided by MWD both have very high levels of calcium.
To address this issue, you can install a water softener in your home or purchase bottled water. A water softener is a very simple and effective way to reduce the hardness in your water. A reverse osmosis filter can also help reduce the levels of hardness, but it is not ideal due to increased maintenance costs and reduced efficiency.
No matter which option you choose, make sure you always get your drinking water from a safe source!