Altus Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

The City of Altus Water Department serves Altus in Jackson County, Oklahoma, with a population of approximately 35,000 residents. The primary water source is Tom Steed Reservoir, impounded on the North Fork of the Red River, with water treated at the city's water treatment plant near 521 S Lee Street. The system also draws from Round Timbre Ranch wells as a supplementary groundwater source. Altus Air Force Base shares the same sources and treatment infrastructure with the city. Treatment involves filtration, salts for manganese removal, and chlorination for disinfection.

The watershed encompasses the upper North Fork Red River basin, draining agricultural lands and rangelands in the Wichita Mountains region upstream. Key geological features include Permian red beds and evaporites from the Blaine Formation, overlain by Quaternary alluvium, alongside Pennsylvanian-age sandstones, shales, and limestones of the Flowerpot and Wellington formations. These formations release bicarbonates, sulfates, and dissolved minerals — particularly calcium and magnesium from carbonate dissolution — into the surface water, while the region's semi-arid climate promotes evaporative concentration in the reservoir, further amplifying the hard character of the supply.

Hard water promotes scale buildup in pipes, water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines, reducing efficiency and lifespan. White deposits on fixtures and reduced soap lathering are common. Annual deliming of appliances and installing drain screens are recommended maintenance steps. A water softener is advised, particularly given seasonal manganese fluctuations — lake turnover events have elevated manganese above 0.3 mg/L (as in 2022), causing a yellow tint though not a health risk. The water meets all EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements with no enforceable violations since 2017; no PFAS detected in treated water from Tom Steed Reservoir or supplementary wells.