Eastern Municipal Water District provides water to all of Perris, and its report shows hardness from about 4.7 grains per gallon for Mills plant water to about 20 for its Perris Valley wells. Knowing which end you are on decides how much softener you need. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Perris.
Perris once ran its own water and sewer systems for Downtown and North Perris, but EMWD, which already served most of the city, took them over. EMWD is now the water and sewer provider citywide. Its supply combines imported Colorado River and State Water Project water with local groundwater, and hardness differs a lot by source. EMWD reports an average of 4.7 grains per gallon for Mills Filtration Plant water, which it calls moderately hard, 9.9 for its Perris Filtration Plant and about 20 for its Perris Valley wells, which serve a limited area along Perris Boulevard near the Ramona Expressway. That last figure is very hard on EMWD's own scale.
What to do now
- Read EMWD's water quality report. It lists hardness by plant and well field.
- Test your own tap. Since the source mix varies, a reading at your kitchen sink is the best guide.
- Look at your water heater. Popping or reduced hot water often means scale has already built up; flushing it when the softener goes in helps.
- Find a spot. The garage, on the main line near a drain and an outlet, is typical.
- Plan the bypass. Keep hose bibs and irrigation on unsoftened water.
- Consider taste separately. EMWD uses chloramine, which a softener does not remove; carbon does.
What you see and what it means
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Thick white scale on fixtures within weeks | Very hard water, common near the Perris Valley wells |
| Light spotting on glass | Moderately hard water |
| Water heater rumbling | Scale and sediment in the tank |
| Tankless heater error codes | Scale in the heat exchanger |
| Chemical taste or smell | Chloramine disinfection, not hardness |
Cost factors
- Capacity, especially in areas served by the harder well water
- Demand-based regeneration to save salt when water is softer
- Location of the main and the nearest drain
- Carbon filtration for chloramine
- Bypass plumbing for outdoor water
City of Perris Development Services, Building, at 135 N. D Street, issues permits through its online portal; the plumber can confirm whether your installation needs one. If you are unsure which EMWD source reaches your street, mention your cross streets when you call. A plumber who works in Perris regularly will have a sense of how hard the water runs nearby, and a quick test settles it.
Water Softeners & Filtration questions in Perris
Where can I find the hardness of my water?
What hardness level makes a softener worth considering?
Does a softener change chlorine or chloramine taste?
Where does a softener send its regeneration water?
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