Plumber in Goodyear, AZ: Two Water Systems, One Freeway Apart

North of I-10: hard well water

Liberty's water here comes entirely from deep wells, and its latest report shows an average hardness of about 13.6 grains per gallon. Liberty serves Litchfield Park from the same system, so our Litchfield Park page walks through that report in more detail.

South of I-10: a blend that changed recently

Until a few years ago, city water south of I-10 was entirely groundwater, some of it cleaned at the Bullard Water Campus, which a regional water association has called the largest city-run reverse osmosis drinking water plant in the state. In early 2022, the city opened its Surface Water Treatment Plant, which treats Colorado River water, and now blends that with well water. The city says groundwater now accounts for only about a quarter of its water portfolio. The city's 2025 report does not publish a single hardness number; instead it tells residents to set softeners between 14 and 20 grains per gallon. Sodium averaged 139 parts per million and ran as high as 300.

A softener protects the house

It removes the calcium and magnesium that build up scale in water heaters, tankless units, fixtures, and appliances. North of I-10, Liberty's average of 13.6 grains with peaks above 21 calls for a softener sized for the high end. South of I-10, the city's guidance is to set the softener between 14 and 20 grains. Either way, the provider's report is the starting point, and the setting is confirmed at the house.

Reverse osmosis is for what you drink

An under-sink RO system treats the water at one faucet, for drinking and cooking. It reduces sodium, nitrate, and dissolved minerals, and south of I-10 the city itself names it as a way to remove TTHMs. It does nothing for scale in the water heater, which is why many homes have both.

What a softener adds

A salt-based softener exchanges hardness for sodium and discharges brine during regeneration. The city's hardness guide points this out, and a softener set to match your actual hardness keeps the salt it adds and the brine it sends to the sewer to what the job needs. If you watch your sodium, drink from the RO tap.

Trading a garage tank for a gas tankless unit means more gas at the heater and a different vent. We determine the line size for each appliance it will share the meter with and handle the permit. Tankless units also need regular descaling to keep scale out of the heat exchanger; ours is a flat $250.

The city recommends flushing a water heater once a year, because heating water makes it more corrosive. A flush also clears the sediment that hard water leaves at the bottom of the tank.

Backyard gas is popular here. Goodyear requires a permit with plans for a natural gas or propane grill or fire pit, so we draw up the run from the meter, size it for everything the line will feed, pull the permit, and pressure-test the new piping before anything is connected.

The city's hardness guide suggests setting a water heater down to 130 degrees to slow scale. The same guide says calcium will not build up fast enough to limit the useful life of household plumbing, so the place to watch for scale is inside water heaters, tankless units, and fixture cartridges.

The largest community in the city, in the foothills of the Sierra Estrella, with neighborhoods including Estrella Mountain Ranch, Montecito, and the 55-plus Cantamia. It lies south of the freeway, where the city is the main water provider.

A 55-plus active-adult community with 54 holes of golf, north of I-10. When Liberty asked for cutbacks in the summer of 2024, it held a community meeting in the PebbleCreek neighborhood.

About 9,000 acres north of the freeway; your bill shows whether Liberty or EPCOR supplies the water.

Goodyear incorporated as a small town in 1946 and remained small for decades: about 6,000 people in 1990, nearly 19,000 by 2000, and more than 65,000 by 2010. That is why only about 4% of today's homes were built before 1980. Those older houses need a different eye than the boom-era ones, with original shutoffs and older water heater hookups that deserve a check whenever something nearby is replaced.

In any home built before 1978, we only take on work that leaves painted surfaces undisturbed. If a repair would need a painted wall opened, that part goes to a lead-safe certified contractor you hire directly; we do not perform or arrange it.

Recommendations from your provider's report

A softener setting that suits Liberty's well water north of the freeway can be wrong for the city blend to the south, and an RO system solves a different problem on each side. So the recommendation starts with your provider's water quality report, and the softener settings, filter, and heater choice follow from it.

Pavel (Paul) quotes it and does it

Pavel (Paul) handles your job from the estimate through the final test. American Discount Plumbing holds AZ ROC license #150707 and is licensed, bonded, and insured.

“Paul worked on rerouting water lines for our kitchen remodel as well as laundry room reconnect. Paul was professional and performed quality work in a timely manner. Would highly recommend for your plumbing needs.”

“Paul was a pleasure to work with. He responded promptly and was able come out to make the repairs the next day. He was very professional, and his rates were excellent. Would highly recommend!”