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Which report this is
This page summarizes the Las Vegas Valley Water District's 2026 Water Quality Report, which is based on 2025 data, and its 2026 Water Quality Summary, which lists average values for more substances.1,2 They're the district's newest published reports and cover Las Vegas Valley Water District customers. If your bill comes from a different utility, check that utility's report.
About 90% of the water comes from Lake Mead (Colorado River snowmelt) and about 10% from wells in the Las Vegas Valley groundwater aquifer. Groundwater is used mainly from April to October. The district says homes in the northwest valley, or within several miles of its offices at Charleston and Valley View boulevards, may get a blend of groundwater and treated Lake Mead water.1
Key numbers
| What | Published figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total hardness | 280 ppm (16 grains per gallon), average | The 2026 report tells customers to set softeners to this figure; the 2026 summary lists it as the average. The 2025 report said 291 ppm (17 gpg). No federal limit.1,2,3 |
| Total dissolved solids (TDS) | 591 ppm, average | Nevada secondary standard 1,000 ppm. EPA's non-enforceable guideline is 500 mg/L.2,4 |
| Disinfectant residual | Free chlorine: ND–2.3 ppm; highest running annual average 0.99 ppm | Limit (MRDL) is 4 ppm. Lake Mead water is treated with ozonation, filtration and chlorination. The report lists no chloramine.1 |
| Sodium | 89 ppm, average | No federal limit.2 |
| Calcium / magnesium | 75 ppm / 24 ppm, averages | 2 |
| Sulfate / chloride | 209 ppm / 98.6 ppm, averages | Nevada secondary standards 500 ppm (sulfate) and 400 ppm (chloride).2 |
| pH | 7.8, average | EPA guideline 6.5–8.5.2,4 |
| Arsenic | 1.3–2.1 ppb at the two treatment plants; 0.60–4.0 ppb in wells (2021 data) | Limit 10 ppb.1 |
| Nitrate (as N) | 0.41–0.63 ppm at the treatment plants; 0.45–5.3 ppm in wells | Limit 10 ppm.1 |
| Fluoride | 0.29–0.73 ppm in the distribution system; average 0.65 | Limit 4 ppm. State law requires the Southern Nevada Water Authority to fluoridate; the law doesn't apply to groundwater.1 |
| Uranium | 3.5–4.1 ppb at the treatment plants; 1.6–2.7 ppb in wells | Limit 30 ppb.1 |
| Bromate | Highest running annual averages 3.2 ppb (Alfred Merritt Smith plant) and 4.2 ppb (River Mountains plant) | Ozonation byproduct. Limit 10 ppb.1 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) | Highest locational running annual average 72 ppb (1.4–83) | Disinfection byproduct. Limit 80 ppb, based on the running average.1 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) | Highest locational running annual average 44 ppb (ND–53) | Disinfection byproduct. Limit 60 ppb.1 |
| Lead (2025 tap sampling) | 90th percentile 2.1 ppb (ND–11) | Action level 15 ppb. 55 samples, June–September 2025.1 |
| Copper (2025 tap sampling) | 90th percentile 0.82 ppm (ND–1.5); one sample above the action level | Action level 1.3 ppm.1 |
| PFAS (2025, UCMR 5) | PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX not detected; PFHxA 0.0041–0.0056 ppb; PFPeA 0.0040–0.0048 ppb | Measured at entry points to the distribution system.1 |
| Lithium (2025, UCMR 5) | 9.3–43 ppb; average 34 | No federal limit.1 |
ppm = parts per million (mg/L). ppb = parts per billion. ND = not detected. Averages for hardness, TDS, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, chloride and pH come from the 2026 Water Quality Summary. The other rows come from the 2026 report's test results.1,2
What isn't published
The report and summary give one valley-wide hardness figure, with no breakdown by neighborhood or ZIP code. The summary gives averages without ranges for TDS, sodium and the other minerals.1,2 For a reading at your tap, test it or ask a dealer to.
Data check
Our Las Vegas pages say the district tells customers to set softeners for 280 ppm, or 16 gpg. That matches the 2026 report. The 2025 report's figure was 291 ppm, or 17 gpg.1,3
What this means for home treatment
- Scale: the district's own advice is to set softeners to 16 gpg.1 See Las Vegas softener cost, hard water in Las Vegas and softener installation in Las Vegas.
- TDS and taste: TDS reduction is a required claim for RO systems certified to NSF/ANSI 58. See RO cost in Las Vegas.5
- Chlorine taste: the district's report suggests activated carbon filters to reduce chlorine taste. Filters certified to NSF/ANSI 42 target chlorine taste and odor.1,6
- Sodium: tap water averages 89 ppm. A salt-based softener adds more, so ask about RO for drinking water if that matters to you.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is Las Vegas water?
The Las Vegas Valley Water District's 2026 Water Quality Report, which covers 2025 data, tells customers to set softeners for 280 parts per million, or 16 grains per gallon. Its 2026 Water Quality Summary lists the same 280 ppm (16 gpg) as the average total hardness.
What should I set my water softener to in Las Vegas?
16 grains per gallon (280 ppm), per the Las Vegas Valley Water District's 2026 report. The district's 2025 report said 291 ppm, or 17 gpg. A test of your own tap gives a better number, especially if you get some groundwater.
What is the TDS of Las Vegas tap water?
The district's 2026 Water Quality Summary lists average total dissolved solids of 591 ppm, against Nevada's secondary standard of 1,000 ppm. EPA's non-enforceable secondary guideline is 500 mg/L.
Does Las Vegas use chlorine or chloramine?
The 2026 report lists free chlorine residual from not detected to 2.3 ppm, with a highest running annual average of 0.99 ppm, against a limit of 4 ppm. Lake Mead water is also treated with ozone. The report doesn't list chloramine.
How much sodium is in Las Vegas water?
The district's 2026 Water Quality Summary lists an average of 89 ppm sodium.
Were PFAS found in Las Vegas water?
In 2025 monitoring at entry points to the distribution system, the report lists PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, PFHxS, PFNA and GenX as not detected. Two other PFAS, PFHxA and PFPeA, were detected at about 0.004 to 0.006 parts per billion.
More water quality reports: Phoenix · Tucson · Scottsdale · Mesa · Las Vegas water treatment pros
Sources
- Las Vegas Valley Water District 2026 Water Quality Report (2025 data), PDF
- Las Vegas Valley Water District 2026 Water Quality Summary (average values), PDF
- Las Vegas Valley Water District 2025 Water Quality Report (2024 data, archive), PDF
- 40 CFR 143.3: secondary maximum contaminant levels
- NSF: NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis systems
- NSF: NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 filtration standards
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