Clovis Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Clovis, New Mexico, the Curry County seat — a major eastern New Mexico High Plains community on the Texas border, home of Cannon Air Force Base (a major US Air Force Special Operations Command installation), a significant High Plains agricultural center (Clovis is the commercial center for the Curry–Roosevelt County High Plains farming and ranching region), home of the Norman Petty Recording Studios (where Buddy Holly and other rock and roll pioneers recorded landmark early rock and roll recordings in the late 1950s — 'Peggy Sue,' 'That'll Be the Day,' and other major hits were recorded in Clovis), and a major New Mexico–Texas border community — draws its municipal water supply from the Ogallala Aquifer via the City of Clovis Water Division. Water hardness in Clovis measures 162 mg/L — classified as hard.

Clovis's hard supply reflects the southern High Plains Ogallala Aquifer's calcareous caliche geology. The Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains Aquifer) at Clovis–Curry County draws from: the Quaternary–Pliocene Ogallala Formation (calcareous caliche-rich calcareous sand, gravel, and clay — the High Plains aquifer with extensive calcrete hardpan from evaporative concentration in the semi-arid climate); the Ogallala at Clovis produces highly calcareous groundwater reflecting the caliche-rich southern High Plains formation. Clovis applies standard treatment to the calcareous Ogallala water, producing the hard 162 mg/L.

At 162 mg/L, Clovis residents face moderate-to-hard scale challenges. Monthly descaling with citric acid solution is recommended. City of Clovis Water Division consistently delivers water meeting all New Mexico NMED and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.