Bossier City Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Bossier City, Louisiana, in Bossier Parish across the Red River from Shreveport — home of Barksdale Air Force Base and the largest casino city in Louisiana outside New Orleans — draws its municipal water supply from the Red River via the City of Bossier City Water and Sewage Department, treating Red River water for Bossier Parish. The Red River at Bossier City–Shreveport drains an enormous basin from the High Plains of New Mexico and Texas through Oklahoma. Water hardness in Bossier City measures 109 mg/L — classified as moderately hard.

Bossier City's moderate hardness reflects the Red River at the Louisiana reach. The Red River above Shreveport drains: the Permian evaporite formations of the Texas–Oklahoma Red Beds — the Permian Blaine Formation (gypsum and anhydrite — major dissolved sulfate and calcium contributor); the Permian Big Red Formation (red bed gypsum and sandstone); and the Cretaceous Comanche Peak and Paluxy Formations (calcareous limestone) in the upper Texas reaches. The Red River is historically famous for its reddish color from the Permian red beds erosion. However, by the time the Red River reaches the Shreveport–Bossier area, the dilution from the Ouachita Mountains tributaries (relatively soft water) has somewhat moderated the extreme mineral load of the upper Red River, producing the 109 mg/L moderate hardness.

At 109 mg/L, Bossier City residents encounter moderate scale accumulation. Faucet aerators and showerheads develop deposits after several months — monthly cleaning with citric acid solution is practical maintenance. City of Bossier City Water and Sewage Department consistently delivers water meeting all Louisiana DEQ and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.