Part 02 · What's in your water
How to read your city's water report for espresso
Your utility's yearly report usually has the numbers a machine maker cares about. Here is where to look, what some large cities list, and where reports fall short.
The short answer
Look for hardness, alkalinity and chloride, often in a table of secondary or aesthetic figures. Most US utilities publish a yearly report, but not every report lists all three. The 2025 reports from Dallas Water Utilities and San Antonio Water System list none of them.
Where to find your report
Under federal rules, community water systems in the US send their customers a yearly water quality report, which the EPA calls a Consumer Confidence Report. Most utilities post it on their website, often as a PDF. The EPA's page on these reports (opens in a new tab) explains what they must contain.
Search for your utility's name and "water quality report" with the year. The utility's name is on your water bill.
What to look for
Espresso machine makers mostly care about three figures. They often sit in a separate table from the regulated ones, under a heading like "secondary standards", "aesthetic" or "general water quality".
- Hardness. Listed in grains per gallon, mg/L or ppm. Look for "as CaCO3" beside it.
- Alkalinity. Usually in mg/L or ppm as CaCO3.
- Chloride. In mg/L or ppm. Don't confuse it with chlorine, the disinfectant.
Some makers also set limits for TDS, pH, iron or chlorine, and many reports list some of those too.
What some large cities report
Here is what we found in the 2025 reports of some of the largest US cities. Each figure is copied from the utility's own report, with a link to it.
| City and report | Hardness | Alkalinity | Chloride | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DallasDallas Water Utilities, 2025 report | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Report for Dallas (opens in a new tab) |
| HoustonCity of Houston (Houston Public Works), 2025 report · Main System TX1010013 | 135.5 ppm as CaCO3 average | Not reported | 38.4 ppm average | Report for Houston (opens in a new tab) |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles Department of Water and Power, 2025 report · Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant | 103 mg/L CaCO3 average | 105 mg/L CaCO3 average | 36 mg/L average | Report for Los Angeles (opens in a new tab) |
| New YorkNYC Department of Environmental Protection, 2025 report · Citywide (Catskill/Delaware and Croton) | 32 mg/L CaCO3 average | 25 mg/L CaCO3 average | 19 mg/L average | Report for New York (opens in a new tab) |
| PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Water Department, 2025 report · Baxter WTP | 6 grains per gallon average | 42 ppm average | 53–142 ppm range | Report for Philadelphia (opens in a new tab) |
| PhoenixCity of Phoenix Water Services, 2025 report · Distribution system | 10–17.6 grains per gallon range | 121–167 ppm range | Not reported | Report for Phoenix (opens in a new tab) |
| San AntonioSan Antonio Water System, 2025 report | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Report for San Antonio (opens in a new tab) |
| San DiegoCity of San Diego Public Utilities, 2025 report · Alvarado treatment plant | 13.8 grains per gallon average | 119 ppm as CaCO3 average | 94.9 ppm average | Report for San Diego (opens in a new tab) |
Two of these reports, from Dallas Water Utilities and San Antonio Water System, don't list hardness, alkalinity or chloride at all. If yours is the same, a test strip is the way to get the numbers.
An average can hide a wide range
Reports give a yearly average, a range, or both. The range can be wide. Houston's 2025 report gives its main system's hardness as an average of 135.5 ppm, with readings from 43.5 to 229 ppm across the year. The same water can fall within a machine's stated requirements in one month and outside them in another.
When a report gives both, the water check uses the average and tells you the range.
Why your tap can differ from the report
- Several sources. Los Angeles lists separate figures for six sources, and Philadelphia for three treatment plants. Which one reaches your home can depend on where you live.
- More than one utility. A zip code can be served by more than one utility, and some homes use private wells, which have no report.
- Your own plumbing. Old pipes, a home softener or a filter change the water before it reaches your machine.
A test strip at your own tap settles it. Test strips or a TDS meter explains which to use.
Questions
Where do I find my water quality report?
On your utility's website, usually as a yearly PDF. The utility's name is on your water bill. The EPA calls these Consumer Confidence Reports.
Is my city's report the same as testing my tap?
No. A report gives yearly averages and ranges for the whole system. Your home can differ because of its source, its pipes or a home softener. A test strip at your tap settles it.
Does the water check use my zip code?
Only in your browser, to find your utility. Our server receives at most the first three digits, and we never store a zip code.
Mineral & Steam does not certify water as safe, guarantee protection from scale, corrosion or equipment damage, or recommend a machine as an overall purchase. It compares the water information you provide with documented manufacturer water requirements and shows the basis and limits of that comparison.