Kingman Hard Water Guide: Softeners, Wells, RO (2026)

Updated October 22, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change, so confirm with the agency listed before you start work.

Quick reference

Topic	What to know	Source
Local groundwater	Generally slightly alkaline and hard to very hard; harder in hardrock than in valley alluvium	ADEQ, Hualapai Valley basin study
Kingman's supply	Deep, high-yield wells in the valley alluvium	ADEQ
Hardness classes	Soft 0 to 60 mg/L; moderately hard 61 to 120; hard 121 to 180; very hard over 180	USGS
Units	1 grain per gallon is about 17.1 mg/L	Grain per gallon reference
Softeners and arsenic	Softeners don't remove arsenic; RO can remove up to 95%	University of Arizona Extension
Certifications	Softeners NSF/ANSI 44; RO NSF/ANSI 58; filters 42 (aesthetic) and 53 (health)	NSF
Contractor license	Registrar of Contractors; R-54 water conditioning equipment	Ariz. Admin. Code R4-9-103

How hard is the water around Kingman?

The best regional data comes from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality's baseline study of the Hualapai Valley basin, which stretches from the Hualapai Mountains just south of Kingman north to Lake Mead. ADEQ sampled 26 sites in 2000 and found the groundwater was generally slightly alkaline, fresh, and hard to very hard. It also found calcium, magnesium and hardness were significantly higher at sites in hardrock than in the alluvium of the valley floor. ADEQ notes that deep, high-yield wells in the valley alluvium are the main supply for the City of Kingman and outlying housing developments.

That study gives the big picture, not your tap. City customers should check the City of Kingman's annual Consumer Confidence Report or ask Public Works. Golden Valley Improvement District customers can ask Mohave County Public Works. Anyone on a private well or hauled water should get their own test.

How do I read a hardness number?

Hardness is usually reported as milligrams per liter (or parts per million) of calcium carbonate. The USGS scale calls 0 to 60 mg/L soft, 61 to 120 moderately hard, 121 to 180 hard and over 180 very hard. Softener companies often use grains per gallon instead; divide mg/L by about 17.1 to convert. The USGS says hardness isn't a health concern, but heated hard water forms scale that shortens equipment life, raises water-heating costs and can clog pipes, and it takes more soap to get things clean.

What else turned up in the groundwater?

In the same ADEQ study, total dissolved solids and fluoride most often exceeded aesthetics-based standards, at 11 sites each. Health-based exceedances included arsenic at three sites, along with nitrate, gross alpha, fluoride, uranium and radium at some sites. Public water systems are tested and regulated. Private wells aren't, which is why the test matters.

Softener, filter or reverse osmosis?

Softeners use ion exchange resin regenerated with sodium or potassium chloride to remove hardness. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension notes they do not remove arsenic.
Filters certified to NSF/ANSI 42 address taste and odor; those certified to NSF/ANSI 53 reduce a named contaminant with a health effect.
Reverse osmosis is the most common way Arizona well owners reduce arsenic, according to Extension, and can remove up to 95 percent. It works better on softened water, and Extension says pretreatment with a softener may be needed if the water is very hard.

What should well owners test for, and how often?

Extension says it's the well owner's responsibility to test for arsenic and treat it if needed. It relays Arizona Department of Health Services advice to test yearly for bacteria and nitrate and at least every three years for arsenic, lead and radon. If you install an arsenic treatment system, test its performance before you buy and at least once a year afterward.

Who can install a softener in Arizona?

Arizona contractors are licensed by the Registrar of Contractors. The residential R-54 classification covers water conditioning equipment, misting systems, exchange tanks, and the indirect waste pipe that carries brine, backwash and rinse water to the point of disposal. R-37 covers plumbing, including water piping. Arizona's handyman exemption applies only to minor jobs under $1,000 total, and it doesn't apply if the work needs a local building permit, is part of a larger project, or is advertised without the words "not a licensed contractor." Look up any license at azroc.gov.

Questions to ask a water treatment company

What's your ROC license number and classification?
Will you test my water, and what did the test show?
Is the equipment certified to NSF/ANSI 44 or 58, and for what?
Where will the brine and backwash water drain, and how will you protect lines from freezing?
What maintenance will it need, and what's warrantied?

Common questions

Is Kingman's water hard?

Generally, yes. ADEQ's Hualapai Valley basin study found groundwater there was hard to very hard. Check the City of Kingman's annual water quality report for current figures for city water.

Do water softeners remove arsenic?

No. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension says softeners remove calcium and other minerals but not arsenic. Reverse osmosis is the common home option.

What license does a water softener installer need in Arizona?

A Registrar of Contractors license. The residential R-54 classification covers water conditioning equipment and the brine and backwash drain line.

Kingman hard water guide (2026)