Riverside, CA
Water Treatment in Riverside, CA
Riverside Public Utilities draws 100 percent groundwater from the Bunker Hill and Riverside North basins, delivering some of the harder water in the Inland Empire at 14 to 18 grains per gallon. Unlike CVWD in Rancho Cucamonga, which blends groundwater with State Water Project imports, Riverside runs on pure basin groundwater year round. The result is consistent hardness with an elevated TDS and historical perchlorate treatment requirements. Purest Water Solutions installs water softeners, whole house filtration, reverse osmosis systems, and combo treatments for Riverside households, sized to what Riverside Public Utilities actually delivers at your tap.
What Riverside Public Utilities water contains
Riverside water typically tests at 14 to 18 gpg. The current utility annual report is available at Riverside Public Utilities water quality page.
Riverside Public Utilities operates on a 100 percent groundwater supply, which sets it apart from blended systems like CVWD in Rancho Cucamonga or the MWD import heavy systems in coastal Orange County. All water comes from the Bunker Hill Basin and Riverside North Basin, two alluvial aquifers fed by percolation from the Santa Ana River and local precipitation. This groundwater source is consistent in mineral content across seasons, which means the 14 to 18 gpg hardness range at your tap does not shift the way it does in cities that blend imported surface water.
Riverside Public Utilities has historically addressed perchlorate from legacy industrial sources in parts of the basin. The utility treats for perchlorate before delivery and must meet California standards. Households with specific concerns about perchlorate can use a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink as an additional treatment layer. RO removes perchlorate effectively.
Priority contaminants for Riverside water include hardness, nitrate, elevated TDS, and historically perchlorate. Hardness is the most universally impactful for household equipment and plumbing. Nitrate and TDS concerns are most relevant for drinking water, where a kitchen sink RO is the most practical solution.
Water treatment options for Riverside homes
Water softener at the main line
A water softener sized for 14 to 18 gpg hardness protects every fixture, appliance, and water heater in the house. At Riverside hardness levels, scale accumulates faster on tankless water heater heat exchangers and inside dishwasher components than it does in softer water cities. A correctly sized softener regenerates on demand based on actual water use rather than a fixed calendar cycle.
Water softener installation in RiversideReverse osmosis at the kitchen sink
An under sink RO unit removes TDS, nitrate, and perchlorate from drinking and cooking water. The softener handles the hardness at the main line while the RO handles the dissolved solids that ion exchange leaves behind (it exchanges calcium and magnesium for sodium but does not remove TDS). Most Riverside households that install a softener also add a kitchen sink RO.
Reverse osmosis in RiversideWhole house filtration
A main line carbon filter removes chlorine or chloramine residual and sediment before water reaches every tap. Riverside Public Utilities uses chloramine in parts of its service area. Carbon filtration also protects softener resin from chloramine degradation when installed upstream of the softener.
Whole house filtration in RiversideRiverside neighborhoods and surrounding cities we serve
Purest Water Solutions serves all Riverside neighborhoods including Wood Streets, Canyon Crest, Orangecrest, and Downtown Riverside, plus neighboring Inland Empire cities on similar groundwater supplies.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is the water in Riverside, CA?
Riverside Public Utilities delivers 100 percent groundwater from the Bunker Hill and Riverside North basins. Water in Riverside typically tests at 14 to 18 grains per gallon, placing it at the higher end of the very hard range. You can review the current figures on the Riverside Public Utilities water quality page at https://www.riversideca.gov/utilities/water/quality.
Does Riverside water have perchlorate?
Riverside Public Utilities historically identified perchlorate in some basin groundwater and has treated it before delivery. The current Riverside Public Utilities annual water quality report provides up to date readings on perchlorate and all regulated contaminants. A reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink addresses perchlorate if it is present above your threshold of concern.
What water treatment is most common for Riverside, CA homes?
The most common install for a Riverside home is a water softener at the main line, sized for 14 to 18 gpg hardness, plus a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink for drinking and cooking water. Households also concerned about chlorine or chloramine from the municipal supply add a whole house carbon filter before the softener.
Book a free water test in Riverside, CA
We test hardness, TDS, and other parameters at your tap and walk through the Riverside Public Utilities report with you before recommending any equipment.
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