Midland County Hard Water Guide: Softeners & RO (2026)

Updated October 29, 2026. General information, not legal, medical or engineering advice. Water quality and rules change; check the latest report and the agency listed.

Quick reference

Topic	What to know	Source
Midland hardness	400 to 600 ppm, about 23 to 35 grains per gallon	City of Midland FAQ
Surface water	O.H. Ivie, E.V. Spence and J.B. Thomas reservoirs via CRMWD	City of Midland 2025 report
Groundwater	Paul Davis Well Field (Midland County); Clearwater and T-Bar well fields (Winkler County)	City of Midland 2025 report
Arsenic, city water	Up to 9.19 ppb in 2025 (limit 10); running-average violation in late 2023	City of Midland 2025 and 2023 reports
Fluoride, city water	Up to 1.52 ppm in 2025 (limit 4)	City of Midland 2025 report
Private wells	About 13,500 in Ector and Midland counties; testing not required	Texas Tribune (2024)
Well test cost	Individual testing can cost up to $400	Texas Water Development Board, via Texas Tribune
Who can install	TCEQ Water Treatment Specialist (Class I-III); plumbers exempt	TCEQ

How hard is Midland's water?

The City of Midland says its water hardness ranges from 400 to 600 parts per million, and suggests dividing by 17.12 to get grains per gallon. That's about 23 to 35 grains, very hard by any common scale. It explains the heavy white scale on fixtures, the short life of water heater elements and the cloudy glassware Midland residents know well.

Where does the water come from?

The city's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report lists surface water purchased through the Colorado River Municipal Water District from O.H. Ivie Reservoir, E.V. Spence Reservoir and Lake J.B. Thomas, plus groundwater from the Paul Davis Well Field in Midland County, drawing on the Ogallala and Pecos Valley aquifers, and the Clearwater and T-Bar well fields in Winkler County. The McMillen well field is plugged and inactive. You can look up the system, number 1650001, on TCEQ's Drinking Water Watch.

Arsenic and fluoride

Midland's 2025 report lists arsenic from 1.5 to 9.19 parts per billion, under the federal limit of 10, with no violations issued during 2025. The 2023 report recorded a running-average arsenic violation from October through December 2023, with a highest single result of 11 ppb. Fluoride reached 1.52 ppm in 2025, under the 4 ppm limit. Nitrate topped out at 1.21 ppm against a limit of 10.

Smaller systems can look very different. A 2008 feasibility study prepared for TCEQ by the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology found the Greenwood Water System's six shallow Ogallala wells carried fluoride of 3.4 to 4.5 mg/L and arsenic of 0.0108 to 0.0241 mg/L, above federal limits, along with high dissolved solids and alkalinity. In 2024, the Texas Tribune reported on another Midland County water system that had served arsenic-contaminated well water for years and logged nearly 600 violations since 1997 before new management took over.

A softener doesn't treat arsenic or fluoride. Under-sink reverse osmosis is a common way to reduce them in drinking water; ask for performance data on the specific contaminant and retest after installation.

Private wells

According to the Texas Tribune, officials have been concerned about naturally occurring arsenic in some of the estimated 13,500 private wells in Ector and Midland counties. Private well owners aren't required to test, and TCEQ doesn't regulate wells that serve a single household. Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas Well Owner Network have run low-cost screenings in the two counties for arsenic, E. coli, nitrate and salinity, and the Texas Water Development Board says individual testing can cost up to $400. The U.S. EPA notes that private well owners are responsible for the safety of their water.

Who can install water treatment equipment in Texas?

TCEQ requires anyone who, under contract, installs, exchanges, connects, maintains or services water treatment equipment for potable water to hold a Water Treatment Specialist license, unless exempt. Class I covers limited tasks under supervision. Class II covers installing, servicing and repairing water conditioning equipment, with reverse osmosis and deionization work supervised by a higher class. Class III covers all of it, including RO. Plumbers holding a Texas plumbing license are exempt. Ask any company for its license class and number.

What does it cost?

We haven't found a reliable public source for typical Midland softener or RO prices, so we don't list ranges. On water this hard, capacity is the biggest factor, followed by whether a softener loop exists, pre-filtration for wells, RO add-ons and ongoing salt and filter costs. For wells, budget for testing too.

Questions to ask a water treatment company

What TCEQ Water Treatment Specialist class do you hold?
What hardness and dissolved solids did you measure?
How often will this softener regenerate at my usage?
What performance data does this RO system have for arsenic or fluoride?
How will the equipment hold up to garage heat and winter freezes?

Common questions

How hard is Midland, TX water?

The City of Midland lists its hardness at 400 to 600 ppm, which is about 23 to 35 grains per gallon.

Does Midland water have arsenic?

The city's 2025 report lists arsenic up to 9.19 ppb, below the federal limit of 10. The 2023 report showed a running-average violation in late 2023.

Who can install a water softener in Texas?

Someone holding a TCEQ Water Treatment Specialist license of the right class, or a plumber with a Texas plumbing license.

Midland County hard water guide (2026)