Water Hardness Calgary Alberta

The water in Calgary is hard, but the water hardness varies by region within the city. This is because the city municipal drinking water supply is fed from two sources - the Bow River supplies the North while the Elbow River supplies residents in the South:

Calgary North Region - Softer Water

Calgary residents in the northern portion of the city get their water from the Bow River through the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant. Water hardness values in this region range from 126 - 198 mg/L (7.4 - 11.6 gpg).

Calgary South Region - Harder Water

Calgary residents in the southern portion of the city get their water from the Elbow River through the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant. Water hardness values in this region range from 181 - 262 mg/L (10.6 - 15.3 gpg).

Seasonal Water Hardness Variability for Calgary

For both the Bow and Elbow Rivers supplies, there is some seasonal variability in the water hardness values, with the hardest water occurring in the Winter months from December to March.

Water Softeners for Calgary Water

The vast majority of Calgary residents have water that's hard enough to benefit greatly from a water softener. A system that's built with 1.0 cubic foot of high-quality resin is the recommended size. While Calgary water is quite hard, it's otherwise a very "clean" water source, so we recommend our Citymaster softener which is ideally suited for a hard city-water supply. It's very effective while also being exceptionally water and salt efficient.