# Understanding Las Vegas Hard Water

> Las Vegas tap water runs about 17 grains per gallon. Here is what that does to your plumbing and what actually helps.

Source: https://monkeywrenchlv.com/las-vegas-hard-water/

Published 2026-02-01, updated 2026-07-01.
Filed under: Water Quality, Las Vegas.

## What it does

Scale from hard water builds on the tank floor of a water heater and insulates the burner from the water it is heating, which is why heaters here last 8 to 12 years rather than longer. It also closes up showerheads and wears out faucet cartridges years early.

## Softening versus filtration

A softener removes hardness and is what stops scale. A filter targets taste, chlorine and sediment and does not remove hardness. Reverse osmosis handles how the water tastes at the tap. If scale is the complaint, the answer is a softener, and we will tell you which of the three your problem actually points to.


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