Renfrew Heights Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.3
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.003 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
69.1 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.10
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 Renfrew Heights, your appliances are currently losing 5% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Renfrew Heights | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 8.4 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -1% |
| Washing Machine | 12.2 yrs | 12 yrs | — |
| Water Heater | 14.1 yrs | 15 yrs | -6% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Renfrew Heights compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | Mineralization | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Renfrew Heights, British Columbia | 37.5 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Renfrew-Collingwood, British Columbia | 80.5 mg/L | Medium | 🟡 Moderately Hard |
| Hastings-Sunrise, British Columbia | 64.5 mg/L | Medium | 🟡 Moderately Hard |
| Killarney, British Columbia | 46.5 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
| Willingdon Heights, British Columbia | 30 mg/L | Low | 🟢 Soft |
National Benchmark
How Renfrew Heights compares to the Canada average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Renfrew Heights | 37.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
| Canada National Avg | 141 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Vancouver Top Rated | 3 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Renfrew Heights's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Renfrew Heights (a residential east Vancouver neighbourhood centred on Renfrew Street and East 29th–41st Avenues — a working-class and middle-class community with a significant Chinese-Canadian and South Asian population, characterised by post-war bungalows, Vancouver Specials, and growing infill development near the Trout Lake John Hendry Park and the Nanaimo SkyTrain station) receives its drinking water through the City of Vancouver, purchasing bulk supply from Metro Vancouver (GVWD) — sourced from the protected Capilano, Seymour, and Coquitlam mountain watersheds. Water is treated at the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant using ozonation, biofiltration, UV disinfection, and chloramination, fully meeting the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ). Hardness in the Renfrew Heights distribution zone is 37.5 mg/L (2.2 gpg) — classified as soft by Health Canada.
Renfrew Heights' 37.5 mg/L is consistent with the east Vancouver distribution corridor (slightly softer than the inner south Vancouver zones at 43–48 mg/L) — sharing the same fundamentally soft Coast Mountain granodiorite and gneiss watershed supply that characterises all Metro Vancouver municipalities. The east Vancouver distribution mains serve Renfrew Heights through the Boundary Road–Renfrew corridor with the characteristic extremely soft Metro Vancouver supply.
With 37.5 mg/L of hardness, Renfrew Heights homes are essentially scale-free — occasional kettle cleaning every three months is adequate. Hot water tanks have an excellent operational lifespan. The City of Vancouver provides water quality information at vancouver.ca. The neighbourhood's significant stock of mid-20th-century Vancouver Specials and original post-war bungalows includes many pre-1970 properties where Health Canada lead precautionary guidance and the City's lead service line review programme at vancouver.ca/water are applicable.
Geology & Source: Supplied by City of Vancouver from Metro Vancouver (GVWD) mountain reservoir water — the Renfrew Heights east Vancouver distribution zone retains soft Coast Mountain character at 37.5 mg/L (2.2 gpg).