Anthem Water Analysis
- Water Hardness: 18.3 GPG (312.9 PPM)
- Classification: Very Hard
- Water Source: Municipal (Maricopa County Average)
To put this in perspective, the U.S. average water hardness is around 5 GPG. Anthem's water is nearly four times harder, placing it in the highest category. Each gallon of your tap water carries a mineral load equivalent to dissolving over 300 milligrams of rock, which then deposits inside your home's plumbing.
How Very Hard Water Affects Your Home & Wallet
The unseen damage from hard water is significant. Every year, your home's water system is coated with over 4.3 pounds of rock-hard limescale.
- Water Heater Damage: Scale buildup on your gas water heater's burner or your electric heater's element reduces efficiency by up to 25%. This means you're paying Arizona Public Service Co more money for less hot water. The constant strain cuts the heater's lifespan from 12-15 years down to a mere 6 years.
- Appliance Strain: The delicate valves and pumps in your dishwasher, washing machine, and refrigerator's ice maker become clogged with scale, leading to breakdowns.
- Higher Cleaning Costs: Hard water requires 30-50% more soap and detergent to create a lather, a recurring cost that adds up significantly over a year.
Daily Effects on Skin and Hair
Living with 18.3 GPG water has noticeable effects on personal care. The high concentration of calcium and magnesium minerals leads to:
- A feeling of residue on your skin after showering, as soap combines with minerals to form soap scum.
- Exacerbated dry skin, itchy scalp, and other dermatological issues.
- Hair that feels dull, lifeless, and coated, no matter which shampoo you use.
- For parents, using purified water for baby formula is a common choice to avoid the high, uncontrolled mineral content of tap water.
Choosing the Right Water System for Anthem
Given the extreme hardness of 18.3 GPG, only a whole-house system can adequately protect your home.
- Top Recommendation: A high-efficiency, salt-based water softener is the gold standard. It actively removes the minerals that cause hardness, protecting your entire plumbing system. For superior drinking water, this should be paired with a multi-stage Reverse Osmosis (RO) system under the kitchen sink.
- Salt-Free Alternative: A salt-free conditioner can help reduce scale formation but does not remove minerals. At this hardness level, it's less effective than a traditional softener and provides none of the soft-water benefits for skin, hair, or cleaning.
Financial Breakdown: A water softener system costs roughly $1,500 installed, but it begins paying you back immediately. With annual savings on energy and cleaning products totaling $194, the system achieves full payback in 7.7 years, while protecting your expensive appliances from day one.