Glendale water hardness and the softener to match
The City of Glendale Water Services Department publishes a citywide hardness average with its minimum and maximum. Most of its water comes from two river systems.
Glendale water hardness by area
Figures published by City of Glendale Water Services Department. The dial setting is the number to enter on your softener.
| City or area | How hard | Range (grains per gallon) | Softener dial setting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale | Very hard | 5.4 to 18.5, average 13.8 | 14 | City of Glendale Water Services Department, annual water quality report, 2026 (2025 data) |
1. Where do you live?
2. How many people live in your home?
What the dial setting means
Every softener has a control valve on top with a setting for your water's hardness, usually labelled "hardness" or "grains". Enter this number there. It tells the softener how hard your water is, so it knows when it is full.
"Recharging" (some manuals say "regenerating") is the softener cleaning itself: it rinses its resin beads with salty water to flush out the minerals they have caught. With this setting it happens on its own, about every 7 days in your home, usually at night.
Set the number too low and hard water slips through before the next recharge. Set it too high and the softener recharges early, wasting salt and water.
Glendale's figure is a citywide average; readings ranged from about 5 to 19. Source: City of Glendale Water Services Department, annual water quality report, 2026 (2025 data).
We don't make, sell or install water softeners or filters, and no company pays to be listed or ranked.
How this figure was measured
Who published it
What the figure is
How we use it
River water, mostly
Glendale draws on the same two river systems as much of the Valley: Salt and Verde river water carried by the Salt River Project, and Colorado River water carried by the Central Arizona Project. In 2025 the split was roughly 55 to 41, with a little groundwater on top. The city can also draw on underground water credits it has stored through its recharge program.
What the range means for you
The average, 13.8 grains per gallon, is the figure the calculator uses. But Glendale’s readings ran from 5.4 to 18.5, so a home at either end could need a different setting. If you notice scale returning quickly with your softener set to 14, a home test will tell you whether your water is at the hard end.
Sizing in Glendale
- One or two people: 24,000 grains
- Three people: 24,000 grains, recharging about once a week
- Four people: 32,000 grains, around 12 bags of salt a year
- Five or six: 40,000 to 48,000 grains
Glendale or a Phoenix service area?
Some addresses near Glendale are served by the City of Phoenix, not the City of Glendale. Check the name on your water bill before using either city’s figure.
Common questions
- Does Glendale, AZ have hard water?
- Yes. The City of Glendale's water quality report for 2025 gives an average of 13.8 grains per gallon (237 ppm), from 5.4 to 18.5. That is very hard on average.
- Where does Glendale get its water?
- About 55 percent from the Salt and Verde rivers through the Salt River Project, about 41 percent Colorado River water through the Central Arizona Project, and about 4 percent groundwater.
- Is Glendale water the same as Phoenix water?
- No, they are separate utilities. Glendale's average (13.8) happens to match the middle of Phoenix's range, but each city treats and reports its own water.