What Tucson Water's Report Says, in Plain Terms

Tucson Water's 2025 report shows no health-based violations, about 78% recovered CAP water and 22% groundwater, and one PFAS detection in 4,698 results. Hardness isn't in the report's tables; it's on the utility's dashboard, where the latest results ran 4.6 to 19.9 gpg, typically about 8 to 17 gpg by zone.

The annual report

The 2025 main-system report covers more than 244,000 households and businesses, 138 active wells and 4,539 miles of pipe. A separate report covers Tucson Water's Corona de Tucson system. Key lines from the tables:

• Sodium: 22.4 to 70.4 ppm.
• Arsenic: highest sample 8.8 ppb, under the 10 ppb limit.
• Nitrate: highest 6.7 ppm, under the 10 ppm limit.
• Chlorine: 1.0 ppm annual average.
• PFAS: PFBA found once at one well (up to 8.1 ppt) in UCMR 5; all other PFAS below detection.

Hardness lives on the dashboard

The report's tables don't list hardness, because it isn't a regulated contaminant. Tucson Water's Water Quality Dashboard does. Enter your address, pick the nearest sampling point, and step through the parameters to see hardness in mg/L and grains per gallon, plus dissolved solids, sodium and chlorine over time. The utility's parameter table explains the scale: 60 to 120 mg/L is moderate, 120 to 180 hard, and above 180 very hard. To convert, divide mg/L by 17.1.

What the latest numbers show

Across 273 sampling points, the latest quarterly hardness ran from 78 to 340 mg/L (4.6 to 19.9 gpg), and 191 points, about 70%, were above 180 mg/L. No point tested soft. Grouped by the 11 water quality zones, typical readings ran from about 8 gpg to about 17 gpg. Dissolved solids in August 2026 ranged from 140 to 645 mg/L, with a median of 524 (Tucson Water dashboard data).

Two cautions when reading these. First, the dashboard shows the nearest sampling point, not your faucet, and Tucson Water reminds customers that the stretch from the meter to the tap, which it calls the customer zone, is the homeowner's responsibility. Old pipes, a water heater or an existing softener can all change what comes out. Second, the blend can shift over time, so a reading from a few years ago may not match today. A test at your own tap is the number to size equipment from.

From numbers to a choice

In zones in the mid-teens, a salt-based softener is the reliable fix for scale. Near 8 to 10 gpg, a salt-free conditioner may be enough. High TDS at your tap points to reverse osmosis for drinking water. Prices for each are in the Tucson water softener cost guide.