Setting your water softener in Las Vegas and Henderson
Every softener needs to be told how hard the water is. In the Las Vegas Valley that number comes straight from your water utility.
The number for your area
Las Vegas Valley
16grains per gallon
From Las Vegas Valley Water District: 280 mg/L, published as 16 grains per gallon.
Henderson
18grains per gallon
From City of Henderson Department of Utility Services: 304 mg/L, published as 18 grains per gallon.
The utility itself recommends 16 to 19.
Boulder City
17grains per gallon
From City of Boulder City (Water and Sewer): 290 mg/L, published as 17 grains per gallon.
Mount Charleston, Echo Wells area
14grains per gallon
From Kyle Canyon Water District: 244 mg/L, published as 14 grains per gallon.
Mount Charleston, Rainbow View area
16grains per gallon
From Kyle Canyon Water District: 280 mg/L, published as 16 grains per gallon.
Laughlin
17grains per gallon
From Big Bend Water District: 284 mg/L, published as 17 grains per gallon.
Blue Diamond (North Well data)
24grains per gallon
From Blue Diamond Water System (Las Vegas Valley Water District): 408 mg/L, published as 24 grains per gallon.
Blue Diamond (South Well data)
23grains per gallon
From Blue Diamond Water System (Las Vegas Valley Water District): 401 mg/L, published as 23 grains per gallon.
Searchlight, Well S-2
3grains per gallon
From Searchlight Water System (Las Vegas Valley Water District): 53 mg/L, published as 3 grains per gallon.
Searchlight, Well S-3
6grains per gallon
From Searchlight Water System (Las Vegas Valley Water District): 97 mg/L, published as 6 grains per gallon.
Searchlight, backup Well S-1
23grains per gallon
From Searchlight Water System (Las Vegas Valley Water District): 401 mg/L, published as 23 grains per gallon.
Mesquite and Bunkerville
14grains per gallon
From Virgin Valley Water District: 10.5 to 15.8 grains per gallon (180 to 270 mg/L).
Programming the number
The control head on top of the resin tank has a hardness menu, usually shown as “Hardness”, “Grains”, “gpg” or sometimes “ppm”. Step to it, enter your number, and save. Older units with a mechanical timer have a hardness dial or a set of pins instead; the manual shows which position matches which number.
Grains or parts per million?
Most softeners ask for grains per gallon. A few ask for ppm or mg/L instead. For valley water that is 280; for Henderson, 304.
Signs your setting needs a change
| What you notice | Likely setting problem |
|---|---|
| Scale returns a few days before each recharge | Set too low |
| Salt disappears faster than expected | Set too high, or a leak in the brine system |
Moving to the valley
If you brought a softener from somewhere with softer water, or bought a house with one already fitted, check the setting on day one. A factory default or a previous owner’s number has nothing to do with your water.
Questions we get asked
- What is the best water softener setting for Las Vegas?
- 16 grains per gallon, the Las Vegas Valley Water District's published figure. Use your own test result instead if you have one.
- What should I set my softener to in Henderson?
- The City of Henderson recommends 16 to 19 grains per gallon. Its typical hardness is 304 ppm, about 18 grains per gallon, which is the number we use.
- How do I know if my softener setting is too low?
- Scale and spots come back in the last days before each recharge. Raise the setting by one or two and watch for a week.