How hard is the water in Oatman, AZ?

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 297.5 ppm (17.4 grains per gallon), classified as very hard. This is not a tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener in ZIP code 86433?

At 297.5 ppm, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale buildup and hard-water spotting. Treatment for hardness does not remove all health-related contaminants.

Local water dashboard

Official source aggregation

Water quality in Oatman, AZ 86433

Q: Is tap water safe in Oatman?

EPA SDWIS shows no active health-based violation in this profile's reporting window. That is not the same as proving every contaminant is absent, and federal data can lag state and utility records.

A source-transparent look at local hardness, associated public water systems, EPA compliance history, and the measurements that are—and are not—available for Mohave County.

No active health-based violation reported

Primary matched system: Oatman Water Company
Source water: Groundwater
County: Mohave County
Profile updated: May 14, 2026

At a glance

What the current records say

EPA quarter 2026Q2

Hardness

Very Hard

297.5 PPM · 17.4 GPG

Compliance screen

No active flag

0 active health-based records

Lead 90th percentile

0 mg/L

0% of action level

Utility match

1 system

Serves 230 people system-wide

Hardness meter

How hard is the water?

Very Hard

Estimated local hardness

USGS hardness classification scale

297.5 PPM

Soft
0–59Moderate
60–120Hard
121–180Very hard
181+

Parts per million

297.5

mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalent

Grains per gallon

17.4

1 GPG ≈ 17.1 PPM

What this means at home

At 297.5 PPM, mineral scale can build up on fixtures and heating elements, reduce soap lather, and leave visible spotting. Hardness is primarily an aesthetic and appliance concern—not itself a tap-water safety rating.

USGS sites used

Nearest site

16.8 mi

Observation range

Oct 10, 2017–Oct 26, 2022

Estimate confidence

Moderate

Median of the latest qualifying hardness observation at each nearby monitoring site. Nearest monitoring location: 007N024E06N001S (Well).USGS source documentation ↗

Regional context

Is 86433 typical?

These comparisons use other indexed ZIP estimates, not utility tap samples. They help show local context without replacing a household test.

Oatman median

298 PPM

About the same

1 indexed ZIP readings · Range 297.5–297.5 PPM

Arizona median

241 PPM

57 PPM higher

285 indexed ZIP readings · Range 66.4–1250 PPM

EPA benchmark screen

Contaminant snapshot

Available numerical results from associated SDWIS community water systems, compared with the applicable action level or federal MCL. Federal measured-value coverage is incomplete.

1 pass

Lead (PB90)

0 mg/L

Reported Dec 31, 2023

Copper (CU90)

Not available

No numerical 90th-percentile result

Numerical coverage

1 comparable result

Missing values remain blank; absence is not treated as a pass.

Lead (90th percentile)

Measured in mg/L

Pass

Local 0

EPA limit 0.015

Share of EPA benchmark

100% line = listed limit

EPA SDWIS compliance

Reported violation history

Open EPA source documentation ↗

2026Q2

All records: 10
Health-based: 1
Active health-based: 0

Contaminant or rule	System	Status	Period
Groundwater RuleHealth-based	AZ0408001	Resolved	Jun 23, 2024through Jul 3, 2024
Lead and Copper Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Jan 1, 2024through Apr 2, 2024
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Jul 1, 2023through Jul 31, 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	May 1, 2023through May 31, 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Apr 1, 2023through Apr 30, 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Feb 1, 2023through Feb 28, 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Nov 1, 2022through May 19, 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Oct 1, 2022through Oct 31, 2022
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Jul 1, 2022through Jul 31, 2022
Lead and Copper Rule	AZ0408001	Resolved	Jan 1, 2021through Mar 10, 2021

No reported violation does not prove that every contaminant was tested or absent; SDWIS measured values are incomplete and lag state records.

Solutions matcher

Your personalized water action plan

Matched to Oatman ZIP 86433 using 297.5 PPM nearby hardness and 1 reported measurement benchmarks.

1 match

Scale protection

High-Capacity Whole House Water Softener

297.5 PPM is 2× the high-hardness trigger used by this matcher.

Designed to reduce scale on fixtures, water heaters, glassware, and plumbing throughout the home.

Compare whole-house systems

Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, at no added cost to you. Product matching is educational and does not replace certified water testing.

Frequently asked

Water questions for Oatman

Is tap water safe in Oatman?+

EPA ECHO shows no active health-based violation for the associated systems in this reporting snapshot. This does not prove every contaminant is absent; federal records can lag and household plumbing can change tap conditions.

How hard is the water?+

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 297.5 PPM, or 17.4 grains per gallon, classified as very hard. This is not a household tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener?+

At 297.5 PPM, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale and hard-water spotting. It does not replace contaminant filtration.