The 2025 reports from Glendale, Liberty, EPCOR's Agua Fria system and the City of Surprise describe water that meets federal drinking water standards. But the West Valley is not one supply: sources differ by utility, and hardness runs from about 2 to 21 grains per gallon. Read the report from your own provider.
What the reports actually say
Federal rules make every community water system send customers an annual Consumer Confidence Report. EPA says these reports describe "The lake, river, aquifer, or other source of the drinking water" and list the regulated contaminants found, and they must go out each year by July 1. Here is what four of the West Valley's systems reported for 2025.
| Utility (area) | Source | Hardness | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Glendale | 55% Salt River Project, 41% Central Arizona Project, 4% groundwater | Not given as a number | Says it is committed to water that meets or exceeds all state and federal health standards |
| Liberty Water LPSCO (Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park and parts of Glendale, per Liberty's water safety page) | Groundwater from middle and lower alluvial units, 200 to 600 feet down | 8.8 to 21.1 grains per gallon, average 13.6 | "This system had no violations in 2025" |
| EPCOR Agua Fria (West Valley district) | Colorado River via CAP, Lake Pleasant, and groundwater | 2 to 17 grains per gallon | Marks "YES" under Compliance Achieved for its arsenic, nitrate, TTHM and HAA5 rows |
| City of Surprise (three systems) | 100% groundwater | 3.9, 6.2 and 5.3 grains average | Mountain Vista lists "No Violations"; the other two list N/A in their violation summaries |
Not every West Valley city is in that table. Peoria, Goodyear's city-run areas, Buckeye and others publish their own reports, and this page does not summarize them. Find yours with the steps at the bottom.
What "safe" does and does not mean
Meeting a standard means a regulated contaminant came in at or under its legal limit. It does not mean zero. Every report above says so in its own way, and a few details are worth reading closely.
Arsenic. The utilities list erosion of natural deposits among arsenic's typical sources. EPA adopted its limit of 10 parts per billion in 2001 and gave water systems until 2006 to meet it. Liberty's wells ranged from not detected to 9.3 ppb with a highest figure of 8 ppb, EPCOR reported 7.31 ppb as its highest, and the three Surprise city systems reported annual levels of 5.3, 6.1 and 4.0 ppb. All were under the limit. Glendale's and EPCOR's reports are candid that the water "does contain low levels of arsenic." EPCOR and the City of Surprise run arsenic removal treatment for their groundwater. Our page on arsenic in Arizona drinking water goes deeper.
Nitrate. Liberty's nitrate ran 4.13 to 8.00 ppm against a limit of 10 ppm. The limit protects infants under six months, and Liberty's report tells anyone caring for an infant to ask their health care provider for advice. If you are mixing formula, ask.
Disinfection byproducts. EPCOR's table is a good example of how to read these. It lists total trihalomethanes with a limit of 80 ppb and a highest running annual average of 53.6 ppb, marks compliance achieved, and shows a separate range of individual detections that reaches 99.3 ppb. Look at which column a table compares with the limit before you read a single high number as a violation.
PFAS. Glendale's report notes that EPA set new PFAS limits in April 2024 and that they become effective April 10, 2029, and says it is monitoring and preparing treatment. Liberty and Surprise also test for PFAS. Check the PFAS table in your own report.
Lead. Glendale reports a service line inventory showing zero lead service lines and zero unknown service lines. Even so, its report points out that lead can come from plumbing inside your home, which the utility does not control. Our guide to testing your home's water for lead shows how to find out.
Hardness. Hardness is a nuisance, not a hazard. Glendale's report calls it a harmless, aesthetic or cosmetic aspect. The reported range does matter for your pipes, fixtures and water heater, and Liberty's 8.8 to 21.1 grains is among the highest on the list. See how hard water damages plumbing.
How to check your own address
Your bill and your utility's latest report answer the question for your house better than any regional summary. Here is the quick route.
- 1Find your provider on your water bill. If you rent, ask the landlord.
- 2Search for the report with EPA's CCR tool, or ask the utility for its latest report.
- 3In the report, find the violations section first, then the table row for arsenic, nitrate, lead and PFAS.
- 4Compare the "highest level detected" column with the limit (MCL) column. Our guide to reading a tap water quality report walks through the terms.
- 5Test at your own tap if you want to know more about lead or hardness. Utility numbers describe a system, not your house.
If scale is your complaint, a softener answers hardness but does not address contaminants. Our water softening service covers installation, and where Surprise gets its water shows how much a single city can vary by utility.