Silver City Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Silver City, New Mexico, in Grant County — the Grant County seat adjacent to Bayard and Hurley on the Gila River in southwest New Mexico — receives its water from the City of Silver City Water Department, drawing from the Gila Valley wellfield through the southwest New Mexico distribution.

The very hard 275 mg/L hardness and TDS of 762.3 mg/L reflect the Grant County supply's very hard Mogollon Highlands evaporitic character — the Precambrian Pinal Schist provides insoluble dilution, while the Tertiary Mimbres Formation contributes calcareous-evaporitic mineral content; Silver City's deep Gila Valley groundwater wells draw from basin alluvium where arid evaporation and geothermal mineral loading produce very hard, high-TDS water (compare Bayard NM: 271/752 in Grant County comparable; Hurley NM: 279/773 in Grant County comparable; Silver City consistent very hard from the same Grant County Gila Valley Tertiary calcareous evaporitic supply). The Gila Valley wellfield — Precambrian Pinal Schist (insoluble — primary dilutant), Tertiary Mimbres Formation (calcareous evaporitic — primary hardness contributor), and Quaternary Gila River alluvium (calcareous — TDS contributor).

At 275 mg/L with TDS 762, Silver City's water is very hard — a water softener is strongly recommended to protect plumbing and appliances. The PFAS level of 3.1 ppt is moderate — a certified drinking water filter provides added protection. Review the City of Silver City's annual water quality report.