Harvey Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Harvey, Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish — a Jefferson Parish suburb on the west bank of the Mississippi River opposite New Orleans, part of the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area west bank corridor — receives its municipal water from the Jefferson Parish Water Department, which draws from the Mississippi River at the Jefferson Parish intake and treats it through the Jefferson Parish water treatment plant, serving the west bank communities.

The very soft 61 mg/L hardness and low TDS of 105.8 mg/L reflect the Mississippi River at New Orleans' surprisingly low mineral content at this extreme downstream reach. The Mississippi River at New Orleans carries the drainage of approximately 1.2 million square miles of central North America — including the highly carbonate-loaded Missouri River drainage and the soft Appalachian-Ozark tributary drainage. By the time the Mississippi reaches the Louisiana delta, extensive floodplain sedimentation, the dilution of the vast drainage area, and the dominance of the Ohio River (moderate hardness) and Upper Mississippi (moderate) flow moderates the dissolved mineral content, producing the relatively soft, low-TDS supply characteristic of New Orleans-area Mississippi River water treatment plants.

At 61 mg/L, Harvey's water is very soft — excellent for household use. Scale forms very slowly, soap lathers richly, and appliances operate at peak efficiency. Annual descaling is more than sufficient. The PFAS level of 7.0 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Mississippi River at New Orleans carries PFAS accumulated from the entire upper Mississippi-Missouri watershed's vast military and industrial complex (3M in Minnesota, St. Paul — a primary PFAS manufacturer; the Mississippi corridor's chemical industry belt from Illinois through Louisiana), producing elevated PFAS despite the naturally clean soft water character.