Ridgecrest Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
3.6 grains per gallon
Source
mixed
pH Level
7.4
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.002 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
135.8 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.16
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 Ridgecrest, your appliances are currently losing 8% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Ridgecrest | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 7.6 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -11% |
| Washing Machine | 11.3 yrs | 12 yrs | -6% |
| Water Heater | 13.1 yrs | 15 yrs | -13% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Ridgecrest compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Ridgecrest, California | 61.5 mg/L | 3.6 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| California City, California | 189.5 mg/L | 7.4 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
| Rosamond, California | 140 mg/L | 5.9 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Tehachapi, California | 118 mg/L | 5.3 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| Barstow, California | 108.5 mg/L | 5 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
National Benchmark
How Ridgecrest compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Ridgecrest | 61.5 mg/L | 🟡 Low |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Ridgecrest's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Ridgecrest, California, in Kern County — a major east California Mojave Desert naval air weapons city (Ridgecrest is a significant Kern County city — the primary community adjacent to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWS China Lake — the US Navy's largest installation by land area, encompassing over 1.1 million acres of the Mojave Desert; China Lake is the Navy's premier air weapons research, testing, and evaluation facility — the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, HARM missile, and many other Navy weapons systems were developed and tested at China Lake; it is one of the most significant defense research installations in the United States)), made dramatically prominent by the July 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes (two major earthquakes — M6.4 and M7.1 — struck the Ridgecrest–China Lake area in rapid succession, the largest California earthquakes in 20 years), a diverse Kern County community with a significant military and defense contractor, Hispanic-American, and working-class population — draws its municipal water supply from the Indian Wells Valley Basin via the Indian Wells Valley Water District. Water hardness in Ridgecrest measures 61.5 mg/L — classified as moderately soft.
Ridgecrest's moderate softness reflects the Kern County east California Mojave Desert closed-basin alluvial aquifer's calcareous-poor character. The Indian Wells Valley Basin draws from Quaternary Mojave Desert alluvium (calcareous-poor granitic alluvial fan). Indian Wells Valley Water District produces the moderately soft 61.5 mg/L.
With hardness at 61.5 mg/L, Ridgecrest residents enjoy moderately soft water. Indian Wells Valley Water District consistently delivers water meeting all California SWRCB and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Groundwater from the Indian Wells Valley Basin aquifer via the Indian Wells Valley Water District — the Kern County east California Mojave Desert Ridgecrest corridor (Quaternary calcareous-poor Mojave Desert alluvium and Precambrian calcareous-poor Sierran granite — the calcareous-poor east California closed-basin Mojave Desert alluvial aquifer; effective treatment); moderately soft supply at 61.5 mg/L in Kern County.