Plumber in Scottsdale

Scottsdale has about 246,000 residents and roughly 140,000 homes, and its water is hard everywhere in the city: the city's 2024 water quality report puts it at 13 to 17 grains per gallon depending on where you live. The median Scottsdale home was built in 1991. And unlike Chandler and Mesa, Scottsdale requires a permit to replace a water heater. HQ Plumbing & Air covers all of Scottsdale around the clock, with upfront pricing and free estimates.

According to the city's 2024 water quality report, Scottsdale's 2023 supply was about 70 percent Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project and 16 percent Salt River Project water from the Salt and Verde rivers. Groundwater and recycled water make up the rest. The city has 21 active wells, and it says that before the 1980s it relied entirely on groundwater.

Hardness depends on where you are. South of Indian School Road the report lists 13 to 15 grains per gallon. From Indian School Road to Chaparral Road it's 13 to 17, and north of Chaparral Road it's also 13 to 17. The USGS calls water above 180 milligrams per liter very hard, which is about 10.5 grains, so every part of Scottsdale is well past that line. The city says hardness is not considered a health concern.

For your plumbing, the trouble is scale. The USGS says scale can shorten equipment life, raise water heating costs and clog pipes. The city's own water heater handout gives two habits for high-mineral areas. Drain at least 5 gallons from the tank's drain valve every six months to keep sediment down, and have the anode rod checked every 3 to 4 years, more often if the water is softened.

The city's hard water fact sheet adds two small habits. Set the water heater to 120 to 125 degrees, and soak showerheads and faucet aerators in white vinegar to loosen deposits. It also says hard water has no known health risk, and that the calcium and magnesium in it are nutrients. What it costs you is scale on fixtures and appliances, not your health.

Census figures put the median Scottsdale home at 1991. About 42 percent of homes were built from 1980 through 1999 and about 30 percent since 2000. Roughly 27 percent, around 38,000 homes, date from before 1980, and about 14 percent, around 20,000, from before 1970.

Scottsdale incorporated on June 25, 1951, with about 2,000 people. By 1960 it had more than 10,000, and by the end of the 1960s nearly 68,000. The city says the master-planned era began in the early 1970s with McCormick Ranch, followed by Scottsdale Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McDowell Mountain Ranch, Desert Mountain and DC Ranch. So one city holds homes from every stage, and we check what's actually in the walls before we recommend anything.