Your “Hard” Tap Water: Safe to Drink, and Good for You!

With its naturally occurring minerals, your tap water will keep you refreshed and healthy, too.

Before it reaches your tap, your drinking water begins its journey down the Colorado River as snowfall in the Rocky Mountains.

As it rolls down the Colorado River from the Rocky Mountains, your tap water picks up high levels of dissolved, naturally occurring minerals including magnesium and calcium.

Throughout its long journey down the Colorado River, your tap water picks up high levels of harmless dissolved minerals that make it “hard.”

Although some might shy away from our mineral-rich tap water due to its unique taste, you can rest assured it’s safe to enjoy, and the minerals and electrolytes keep you hydrated and healthy.

From its humble beginnings as snowfall in the Rocky Mountains and throughout its long journey down the Colorado River to Lake Mead, your drinking water picks up high levels of harmless dissolved minerals that make it “hard.”

In Southern Nevada, the two naturally occurring minerals—calcium and magnesium— are the main contributors to our hard water. While some might shy away from the mineral-rich taste, rest assured that it’s safe to enjoy. These minerals and electrolytes not only keep you hydrated but they also offer health benefits.

While hard water is harmless, it can have some aesthetic effects, including chalky build-up on faucets and spots on glassware, shower doors and sink fixtures. To minimize these effects, consider using:

• Dishwasher rinse aids
• Laundry detergents – with water-softening agents
• Bath salts such as Epsom salts
• Lime – or mineral-dissolving household cleaners
• Household water softener systems

Despite its hardness, Southern Nevada’s water supply meets or surpasses all state and federal safe drinking water standards. In fact, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) tests your water 300,000 times a year and goes above and beyond by monitoring for more regulated and unregulated contaminants than is required by law.

You’ve got a lot on your plate; the SNWA is taking care of what’s in your glass. So, pour yourself a glass of Rocky Mountain-sourced tap water. Add a lemon twist and let naturally occurring minerals keep you hydrated and healthy!

Get free information about in-home water treatment and filtration systems and learn more about the safety and quality of your tap water at snwa.com.