What is the Water Hardness Level in Ventura, CA?

Ventura County boasts a high quality of life, including sunny days and easy access to the shoreline. But beyond the beachy lifestyle, it’s also with considering the quality of the water that comes out of your tap.

Like other counties, Ventura conducts regular surveys to make sure its water meets safety and aesthetic standards. The most recent studies reveal that Ventura water has 20-50 grains of minerals per gallon—more than twice the amount needed to be classified as “very hard” water.

In this short guide, we’ll do a deep dive into Ventura’s hard water and the steps you can take to improve your home’s H2O or if you need to install a water softener.

The Hard Facts Behind Hard Water

Hard water is measured based on the concentration of two main minerals:

• Calcium
• Magnesium

What’s wrong with these minerals in your water supply? In your diet, they can help build bone and preserve heart health. But in your water, they can have several unwanted effects.¹

These include:

• Bad taste – Some people think hard water tastes just fine straight out of the tap. But many others find it chalky, minerally, or even salty. Beyond drinking water, the minerals present in hard water can also affect the taste of your ice cubes, coffee, tea, and soups.
• Destructive effects on plumbing and appliances – Your hard water flows through your piping to your sink, hot water heater, dishwasher, laundry machine, and other appliances. Over time, mineral buildup from hard water can degrade them all. You may need to service or replace household plumbing and fixtures more often than people in areas with soft water.
• Other minor annoyances – Hard water can leave spots on your glasses, dishware, and flatware. These aren’t at all dangerous, but they can be embarrassing if you’re serving guests. Likewise, hard water can strip hair color and fade garments over time.

Ventura County Water Safety

As we’ve noted, hard water isn’t a health hazard. It’s more of a concern for your wallet and comfort level.

However, it’s worth considering other aspects of water quality, too.

As your water supply makes its long journey along the California Aqueduct to Ventura County, it flows overground and underground, collecting everything from rainwater to minerals in the soil to chemical runoff. Of course, it’s processed before it makes its way to your tap, but trace levels of pollutants can remain.

Beyond hardness, Ventura County conducts testing to monitor levels of potential contaminants including:

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Lead
• Herbicides
• Pesticides
• Industrial runoff
• Radioactive contaminants

The good news? Ventura County water quality fell within a safe range for all the above contaminants.

But some people want to make sure to filter out as much of these substances as possible. In that case, you’ll have to take matters into your own hands.

Correcting Hard Water

So, what can you do to improve your water’s taste, get a better-feeling shower, and prolong the life of your pipes?

There are several options.

• Water softeners – Softeners use a system of ionic exchange, removing calcium and magnesium ions from your water and replacing them with sodium ions. Since the minerals are physically removed from your water, you should no longer have problems with your plumbing and appliances, nor with the feel of your shower.
• Water conditioners – Water conditioning occurs in salt-free water systems, which don’t remove minerals. Instead, it changes their chemical composition so that they no longer adhere to the surfaces of pipes and appliances. 
• Reverse osmosis systems – Want to filter out every possible contaminant? A reverse osmosis system pushes water through a membrane to filter out compounds like fluoride, arsenic, mercury, and sodium.

Whether you own or rent your home, there’s a solution that suits your needs. Only care about the taste of your tap water and drinking water? You could focus on adding a reverse osmosis system to your kitchen sink. Want to preserve the pipes throughout your home? Opt for a whole-house solution.

Rayne Water Solutions for Ventura County Hard Water

The water hardness level Ventura CA advertises isn’t set in stone.

Custom home solutions make it possible to create your own private water oasis in Ventura County. Whether you’re interested in reverse osmosis, salt-free water conditioning, or a hybrid solution, we’re ready to work with your budget.

Get in touch today to learn how you can enjoy softer water with a Ventura water softener.

Sources: 

1. USGS. Hardness of water. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hardness-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects