Cape Horn Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.7
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.006 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
223.2 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.25
energy & soap waste
Source: Health Canada Water Quality · Updated 2026
0–60
mg/L
Soft
61–120
mg/L
Moderately Hard
121–180
mg/L
Hard
180+
mg/L
Very Hard
Appliance Damage Report
In Cape Horn, your appliances are currently losing 12% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Cape Horn | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 6.5 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -24% |
| Washing Machine | 10.1 yrs | 12 yrs | -16% |
| Water Heater | 11.9 yrs | 15 yrs | -21% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Cape Horn compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | Mineralization | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Cape Horn, British Columbia | 93.5 mg/L | Medium | 🟡 Moderately Hard |
| Maillardville, British Columbia | 54.5 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Central Coquitlam, British Columbia | 27 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Surrey City Centre, British Columbia | 93.5 mg/L | Medium | 🟡 Moderately Hard |
| Guildford, British Columbia | 18.5 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
National Benchmark
How Cape Horn compares to the Canada average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Cape Horn | 93.5 mg/L | 🟡 Low |
| Canada National Avg | 141 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Vancouver Top Rated | 3 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Cape Horn's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Cape Horn's drinking water is managed by the City of Coquitlam, purchasing bulk supply from Metro Vancouver (GVWD) — sourced from the Coquitlam Lake watershed reservoir in the Coast Mountains northeast of Coquitlam. Water is treated at Metro Vancouver facilities using ozonation, biofiltration, UV disinfection, and chloramination, fully meeting the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ). Hardness in the Cape Horn distribution sub-zone is 93.5 mg/L (5.5 gpg) — classified as moderately hard by Health Canada, exactly matching the adjacent Lougheed sub-zone (93.5 mg/L from batch 25) in the same eastern Coquitlam distribution corridor.
Cape Horn (a neighbourhood on the Barnet Highway in northeast Coquitlam near the Port Moody boundary — on the rocky forested hills above the Burrard Inlet and the Ioco refinery heritage site, an older residential area of the Coquitlam–Port Moody border zone near the Barnet Marine Park and the Belcarra Regional Park gateway) shows the same 93.5 mg/L as Lougheed in the eastern Coquitlam distribution, confirming a consistent harder sub-zone characteristic in the Coquitlam Lake east distribution extremity. This is the hardest Metro Vancouver sub-zone in the Coquitlam system, contrasting with Central Coquitlam (27 mg/L from batch 25) in the western Coquitlam distribution and Burquitlam (55 mg/L from batch 26) in the transition corridor.
At 93.5 mg/L, Cape Horn homes experience light to moderate scale deposits — cleaning every two months is advisable. The higher lead (0.006 mg/L) warrants attention in older pre-1975 properties in the established Cape Horn neighbourhood near the Barnet Highway heritage area. The City of Coquitlam provides water quality information at coquitlam.ca. Health Canada lead precautionary guidance applies to pre-1975 properties throughout the established Cape Horn–Barnet area.
Geology & Source: Supplied by the City of Coquitlam from Metro Vancouver (GVWD) Coquitlam Lake reservoir water — the Cape Horn Coquitlam-Port Moody boundary distribution sub-zone records moderately hard supply at 93.5 mg/L (5.5 gpg), consistent with the harder eastern Coquitlam distribution sub-zone.