Moving to a New City? Check the Water First

Water quality varies dramatically between cities

Moving from one city to another can mean a complete change in water characteristics. Seattle\'s water averages around 15 ppm total dissolved solids with very soft water from mountain reservoirs. Phoenix averages around 500 ppm TDS with very hard water from the Colorado River and groundwater. Moving between these cities is a shock: your skin dries out, soap stops lathering, glassware gets spotted, appliances accumulate scale, and the water tastes completely different.

But the differences go beyond taste and hardness. Moving from a low-PFAS area to a high-PFAS area means invisible contaminant exposure you would never notice without testing. Moving to an older city with aging infrastructure may mean higher lead risk. Checking water quality should be on your moving checklist right alongside transferring utilities and forwarding mail.

Before you move: research the water

Start by looking up the new city\'s water data. Here is what to check and why:

Step 1: Check your new city\'s water report

Search your new city on CheckMyTap to see hardness, PFAS, lead history, and other contaminant data. Every public water system is required to publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) with detailed testing results. Your new utility\'s website will have the most recent CCR.

Step 2: Compare to your current city

Use our city comparison tool for side-by-side data. Key things to compare:

Factor	Why it matters when moving	What to do if it\'s worse
Hardness	Affects skin, hair, appliances, cleaning	Budget for a water softener ($800-$2,500 installed)
Lead (90th percentile)	Varies by neighborhood and home age	Test your specific tap; install NSF 53 filter if elevated
PFAS	Invisible; no taste or smell	Install RO or activated carbon filter certified for PFAS
Chlorine/chloramine	Taste, skin, hair dryness	Carbon filter for drinking; shower filter for bathing
TDS	Overall mineral content and taste	RO system if above 500 ppm
Disinfection byproducts	Health concern; higher in surface water systems	Carbon filter removes most THMs and HAAs

Step 3: Budget for water treatment

If your new city has significantly harder water or different contaminant concerns, factor water treatment into your moving budget. Common costs:

• Whole-house water softener: $800 to $2,500 installed
• Under-sink RO system: $150 to $400 (DIY) or $300 to $600 (professional install)
• Whole-house carbon filter: $300 to $800 installed
• Shower filter: $25 to $50 (no installation needed)
• Water testing kit: $20 to $200 depending on contaminants tested

After you move: test your specific tap

City-wide averages do not tell you what is coming out of your specific faucet. Lead is the biggest example: it enters water from your home\'s plumbing, not from the water source. A home built in 1970 with original plumbing has very different lead risk than a home built in 2020.

Priority testing for your new home

1. Lead test (first priority): Collect a first-draw sample from the kitchen cold tap after water has sat in pipes for at least 6 hours (early morning is ideal). Many state labs offer lead testing for $20 to $40. The EPA action level is 15 ppb, but any detectable lead warrants filtration.
2. Hardness test: Free test strips are available at most home improvement stores. This confirms whether you need a softener. Water above 7 gpg (120 ppm) is considered hard. Above 10.5 gpg (180 ppm) is very hard. Learn more about hard water.
3. General water panel: A comprehensive test from a certified lab ($100 to $200) covers lead, copper, nitrate, bacteria, pH, hardness, TDS, and other basics. Contact your state health department for a list of certified labs in your area.
4. PFAS test (if concerned): Costs $100 to $200 through specialized labs. Worth doing if your new city has known PFAS contamination or is near military bases, airports, or industrial sites. Learn about PFAS.

Common moving scenarios

Moving from soft water to hard water

This is the most noticeable transition. Signs you\'ll notice immediately: soap does not lather well, skin feels dry after showering, white spots on dishes and glassware, and a film on shower doors. Long-term effects include scale buildup in water heaters (reducing efficiency by 15 to 25 percent over time), shortened appliance lifespan, and increased soap and detergent use. A whole-house salt-based water softener is the standard solution. If you prefer to avoid salt discharge, a salt-free conditioner prevents scale without removing minerals.

Moving from a clean water city to one with contaminant concerns

If your new city has elevated PFAS, lead, or disinfection byproducts, install a point-of-use filter at the kitchen sink before you start using the water for drinking and cooking. An under-sink reverse osmosis system provides the broadest protection. See our under-sink filter guide.

Moving from city water to well water

Private wells are not regulated by the EPA. You are entirely responsible for testing and treatment. The CDC recommends annual testing for bacteria (coliform and E. coli), nitrate, pH, and TDS at minimum. Additional tests depend on your region: arsenic in the western US, radon in granite regions, pesticides in agricultural areas. A well water panel from a certified lab costs $100 to $300.

Moving to an older home

Homes built before 1986 may have lead solder in plumbing joints. Homes built before 1930 may have lead service lines connecting to the water main. Even if your city has clean source water, lead can leach from your home\'s own plumbing. Test within the first month and install a certified lead-removal filter if levels are above 5 ppb.

Moving checklist for water quality

• Look up new city\'s water data on CheckMyTap
• Compare to current city using the comparison tool
• Budget for water treatment if needed
• Test your new home\'s water within the first month
• Install appropriate filtration based on test results
• If moving to hard water, install a softener before scale builds up in appliances
• Replace any existing water filters in the new home (you do not know when they were last changed)