Cherryland Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Cherryland, an unincorporated community in Alameda County, California, receives its drinking water from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), a utility serving over 1.4 million people across the East Bay region. Approximately 85% of the supply originates from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and associated aqueducts drawing from the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. The remaining 15% comes from local Alameda Watershed reservoirs, including Upper San Leandro and Lafayette reservoirs. Water is treated at EBMUD's facilities, such as the El Cerrito and Sobrante plants, before distribution through an extensive pipeline network to Cherryland's service area. The primary Hetch Hetchy watershed, spanning 412 square miles of protected Sierra Nevada terrain, is characterized by granitic bedrock and thin soils, which result in snowmelt-dominated runoff that is naturally low in dissolved minerals.

The geology underlying Cherryland's water supply contributes to its very soft character. The Hetch Hetchy watershed is primarily composed of granitic and metavolcanic rock formations from the Mesozoic era, including the Yosemite granodiorite batholiths. These igneous rocks release minimal dissolved calcium and magnesium into the water. Supplemental sources from the Alameda watershed draw from reservoirs impounding streams over Franciscan Complex rocks, such as greenstone and chert dating back to the Jurassic-Cretaceous period. The absence of limestone or dolomite formations in these areas prevents significant leaching of hardness ions, ensuring a consistently soft water supply.

Because this water is very soft, you'll find minimal scaling buildup in appliances like pipes, water heaters, and dishwashers. While very soft water can sometimes lead to slight corrosion in fixtures over time due to its low buffering capacity, this is generally manageable. Homeowners can address this with periodic flushing and basic filtration if sediment becomes noticeable. Installing a water softener is not recommended, as it's unnecessary for hardness issues and could potentially increase corrosion. EBMUD reports excellent compliance with water quality standards, with PFAS levels well below limits and no lead or copper action level exceedances. Post-treatment pH typically ranges from 8.5 to 9.5 for corrosion control, and chloramination is used for disinfection.