Reno's tap water comes from the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) and is treated to meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards. But meeting the legal minimum isn't the same as healthy water — and Northern Nevada water has some specific characteristics worth knowing about.
Hard Water
Reno city water typically runs between 200–350 mg/L of total dissolved solids, with hardness levels in the 150–250 mg/L range. This is classified as "very hard" — among the harder water supplies in the United States.
Chlorine and Disinfection Byproducts
Like all municipal water, Reno's supply is disinfected with chlorine or chloramine. These disinfectants react with organic matter in the water to form trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) — disinfection byproducts that exceed EWG health guidelines in Reno's water.
16 Contaminants Exceeding EWG Guidelines
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) sets health guidelines stricter than federal legal standards. Reno's water exceeds EWG guidelines for 16 contaminants including arsenic, uranium, chloroform, hexavalent chromium, and multiple trihalomethane and haloacetic acid compounds.
What This Means for Your Family
These contaminants are primarily concerns for long-term exposure — drinking or bathing in Reno tap water for years. For most healthy adults, short-term exposure isn't an emergency. But for households with young children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, or immunocompromised family members, addressing these contaminants is strongly advisable.
A properly selected whole-home filtration system combined with a reverse osmosis drinking water system provides comprehensive protection against Reno's specific water quality issues.