Riverside Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
180+ mg/L
Very Hardestimated · not lab-verified
Source
river
pH Level
8.2
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.009 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
483 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.91
energy & soap waste
Source: See methodology section below · 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 Riverside, your appliances are currently losing 45% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Riverside | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 4.7 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -45% |
| Washing Machine | 6.6 yrs | 12 yrs | -45% |
| Water Heater | 8.3 yrs | 15 yrs | -45% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Riverside compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Riverside, Ohio | ≈ 180+ mg/L | 10.1 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
| Huber Heights, Ohio | ≈ 120–179 mg/L | 0 ppt | 🟠 Hard | groundwater |
| Dayton, Ohio | 156 mg/L | 94.9 ppt | 🟠 Hard | river |
| Beavercreek, Ohio | ≈ 120–179 mg/L | 0 ppt | 🟠 Hard | groundwater |
| Kettering, Ohio | ≈ 120–179 mg/L | 66.1 ppt | 🟠 Hard | river |
National Benchmark
How Riverside compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Riverside | ≈ 180+ mg/L | 🔴 High |
| USA National Avg | 151 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Scarsdale Top Rated | 0.02 mg/L | 🟢 None |
Bring Scarsdale-quality water to your Riverside home
Shop water softeners on Amazon.com →
What Makes Riverside's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Riverside, Ohio is served by the Montgomery County Water Supply in Englewood, which provides water to the village and surrounding areas in Montgomery County. The utility sources water from the Great Miami River and local groundwater wells, treated at the Pumphrey Water Plant. This mixed supply serves approximately 20,000 customers across Riverside and nearby communities like Kettering and Dayton suburbs. The system meets EPA standards, with one monitoring-related violation noted since 2023 per recent reports.
The Great Miami River watershed drains a 5,400-square-mile area in western Ohio through limestone-dominated geology. Devonian Columbus Limestone and dolomite formations underlie the region, forming productive aquifers that recharge the river and wells. This carbonate geology imparts a hard character to the water through natural dissolution of calcium and magnesium-bearing minerals, yielding a mineralised supply typical of the Miami Valley. Surface water from the river carries similar mineral traits due to upstream rock interactions.
Very hard water in Riverside leads to significant scale buildup in appliances like water heaters, dishwashers, and coffee makers, reducing efficiency and lifespan. Laundry and soap performance suffer, requiring more detergent, while spotted dishes and dry skin are common. Regular descaling of fixtures and heaters is essential; a home water softener is strongly recommended to mitigate these effects and extend appliance life. Montgomery County water is softened to around 9 gpg at the plant, though residual hardness persists. Treatment includes softening, filtration, chlorination, and corrosion control, maintaining a stable pH around 7.5–8.5, with lead levels confirmed low at 0.0034 mg/L.
Geology & Source: Great Miami River watershed, Montgomery County; Devonian Columbus Limestone and dolomite — karst terrain dissolves calcium and magnesium into supply; Pleistocene Wisconsinan glacial deposits overlay formations, enhancing mineral recharge
Other Ohio Water Reports
Report an Issue
Notice an error or missing data? Help us keep this page accurate. If you spot incorrect water hardness, outdated utility info, or missing details, please let us know.
All reports are reviewed by our team. Thank you for supporting data quality!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riverside's water safe to drink?
Do I need a water softener in Riverside?
How does Riverside compare to the USA average?
Data Sources & Methodology
Water quality data for Riverside is derived from geographic and geological modelling of the surrounding region. No federal monitoring station data was available for this location.
Water Hardness
Modelled estimate based on state-level USGS geological survey data for this region. No direct USGS Water Quality Portal measurement was matched to this city — the value reflects a statistical range calibrated to the state's dominant rock types and typical source water characteristics.
pH
Estimated from regional geology and source water characteristics. pH is correlated with water hardness and local bedrock — values may differ from utility-reported figures.
TDS — Total Dissolved Solids
Estimated using a derived ratio from water hardness and regional conductance profiles. TDS in natural water correlates strongly with total mineral content including hardness ions.
PFAS — Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
EPA UCMR5 (5th Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 2023–2025) — sum of PFAS compounds detected at the public water system serving this city. A value of 0 indicates the system was sampled with no detection above reporting limits.
Lead
Modelled estimate based on the EPA Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile tap-sample methodology. No publicly available per-city lead dataset with sufficient national coverage exists. Values are a conservative baseline derived from city population tier and infrastructure age — all estimates are maintained below the EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L.
Appliance Lifespan
Calculated from water hardness using a linear degradation model. Baseline lifespans represent soft-water performance (kettle: 8.5 yrs, washing machine: 12.0 yrs, water heater: 15.0 yrs). Hard water mineral scale progressively reduces operational life in direct proportion to hardness concentration.