Hard water in Stevenson Ranch, CA
Reported by Santa Clarita Valley W.A.-Valencia Divis · August 2025
- CA typical
- 121 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Stevenson Ranch carries roughly 236 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 13.8 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from Santa Clarita Valley W.A.-Valencia Divis, dated August 2025.
At 236 mg/L, Stevenson Ranch is 115 mg/L above the typical California figure of 121. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 77 mg/L in Calabasas to 236 in Castaic.
What 236 mg/L means at home
Scale forms fast here. Kettles and coffee makers need regular descaling, and showerheads clog unless you clean them.
Tank water heaters collect mineral sediment that insulates the water from the burner, so flushing the tank matters more than usual.
Dishes and glass shower doors spot easily. Soap scum and a dull film on hair or laundry are common complaints.
Hardness is not a health problem, and EPA sets no limit for it. It is a matter of scale and soap.
What to do about it
At 236 mg/L most of the trouble is scale, and only a few things deal with it.
Ion-exchange water softener
The standard whole-house fix. It swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and needs salt plus a drain. Size it with the calculator below.
Salt-free conditioner
No salt and no drain line. It changes how minerals form scale instead of removing them, so water still tests hard.
Reverse osmosis or carbon filter
Under-sink reverse osmosis removes minerals from drinking water only. Plain carbon filters improve taste but do not soften.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 13.8 gpg = 3,105 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 7 days.
EPA record for Stevenson Ranch's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 292,014 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
TapWaterData ties Stevenson Ranch to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Stevenson Ranch, so check the utility printed on your water bill.
Health-based means a contaminant above its legal limit or a missed treatment step. Monitoring and reporting violations are late or missing tests and notices. Source: EPA ECHO, 2026Q3 export, violations with periods starting 2016 or later. Full EPA record.
Questions
Is Stevenson Ranch water hard?
Yes. It measures about 236 mg/L (13.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Stevenson Ranch in grains per gallon?
About 13.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 236 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 13.8.
What size water softener do I need in Stevenson Ranch?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 13.8 gpg works out to about 3,105 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 7 days.
Has the Stevenson Ranch water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency since 2016.
Nearby cities
- Castaic236 mg/LVery hard
- San Fernando121 mg/LHard
- Simi Valley181 mg/LVery hard
- Oak Park138 mg/LHard
- Moorpark190 mg/LVery hard
- Calabasas77 mg/LModerately hard
- Fillmore77 mg/LModerately hard
- Agoura Hills88 mg/LModerately hard
- Burbank133 mg/LHard
- Topanga77 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 18, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.