Oildale Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
9.8 grains per gallon
Source
mixed
pH Level
8.2
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.008 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
503.7 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.45
energy & soap waste
Source: USGS Water Quality Portal · 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 Oildale, your appliances are currently losing 22% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Oildale | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 4.1 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -52% |
| Washing Machine | 7.4 yrs | 12 yrs | -38% |
| Water Heater | 8.9 yrs | 15 yrs | -41% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Oildale compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Oildale, California | 168 mg/L | 6.8 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Bakersfield, California | 70.5 mg/L | 4 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| Rosedale, California | 145.5 mg/L | 6.1 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Lamont, California | 101 mg/L | 4.8 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| Shafter, California | 34 mg/L | 2.9 ppt | 🟢 Soft | mixed |
National Benchmark
How Oildale compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Oildale | 168 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
Bring Badger-quality water to your Oildale home
Shop water softeners on Amazon.com →
What Makes Oildale's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Oildale, California, an unincorporated community in Kern County — a major north Bakersfield oil country community (Oildale is the unincorporated Kern County community directly north of Bakersfield — one of the most oil-saturated communities in California; Oildale is surrounded by working oil wells, derricks, and tank farms, in the heart of the Kern County San Joaquin Valley oil fields which have produced oil continuously since the 1890s), a diverse Kern County community with a significant Basque-American, working-class, and white working-class population (Oildale has historically been a predominantly working-class community with a distinctive character among Bakersfield's communities), birthplace of Merle Haggard (the great country music singer-songwriter and Bakersfield Sound pioneer was born in Oildale in a converted boxcar — Oildale is deeply associated with Haggard's working-class California country music heritage), and a community deeply embedded in the Kern County oil industry economy — draws its municipal water supply via the North of the River Municipal Water District. Water hardness in Oildale measures 168 mg/L — classified as hard.
Oildale's hard supply reflects the Kern County San Joaquin Valley alluvial geology. The Kern River alluvial aquifer and San Joaquin Valley Pliocene–Quaternary basin fill at Oildale–Kern County provide calcareous-moderate groundwater. Treatment produces the hard 168 mg/L.
At 168 mg/L, Oildale residents face regular hard water challenges. Monthly descaling is recommended. North of the River MWD consistently delivers water meeting all California DDW and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Mixed supply from the Kern River and local groundwater via the Oildale Mutual Water Company or North of the River Municipal Water District — the Kern County San Joaquin Valley north Bakersfield Oildale corridor (Pliocene–Quaternary calcareous-moderate San Joaquin Valley alluvial aquifer and Kern River alluvium — the calcareous-moderate Kern County San Joaquin Valley alluvial plain; north Bakersfield supply with treatment); hard supply at 168 mg/L in Kern County.