Water Softener in Glendale, CO

Glendale's water

Glendale is a small city completely surrounded by Denver along Colorado Boulevard and Cherry Creek, and it is the most densely populated municipality in Colorado. The city buys all of its water from Denver Water but maintains its own water mains and bills customers directly, so main breaks and billing questions go to Glendale Public Works rather than Denver Water.

The water itself is Denver Water's treated mountain snowmelt from the upper South Platte, Blue and Williams Fork rivers, Bear Creek, South Boulder Creek, Ralston Creek and Fraser River tributaries. The Denver Water report that Glendale's About Our Water page links lists average total hardness of about 89 ppm, ranging from about 48 to 116. That puts most readings in the moderately hard range, enough to leave spots and gradual scale but not the heavy crust you see with very hard water.

Much of Glendale's housing is multifamily. In a condo or apartment, a whole-house softener may not be practical or allowed, which makes a point-of-use filter or a small unit serving one water heater the more realistic choice.

Choosing a direction

Signs that point to hardness

• White spots on dishes and glass shower doors
• Showerheads that clog within months
• Crackling sounds from a tank water heater
• Kettle scale after a few weeks

Timing and permits

Denver Water's reported range runs from about 48 to 116 ppm, so a single test may not catch the high end; testing in two seasons gives a fuller picture. Plumbing permits in Glendale go through the City of Glendale Building Department, not Arapahoe County or Denver, using the city's main building permit application. Inspection requests are due by 3:30 p.m. the day before, which is worth knowing when scheduling the job. Condo owners should also check association rules before planning anything on a shared line, since equipment that affects other units usually needs board approval. A plumber can suggest options that stay entirely within your own unit.