Moving to a New City? Check the Water First
How to evaluate water quality before or after moving to a new home.
Water quality varies dramatically
Moving from Seattle (15 PPM, very soft) to Phoenix (220 PPM, very hard) is a shock. Your skin dries out, soap stops lathering, glass gets spotted, and appliances start accumulating scale. Moving from a low-PFAS area to a high-PFAS area means invisible contaminant exposure. Checking water quality should be part of your moving checklist.
Before you move
Look up the new city on CheckMyTap. Compare hardness, PFAS, lead, and other contaminant levels to your current city. Use our city comparison tool for side-by-side data. Budget for water treatment if the new city has hard water or contaminant concerns.
After you move
Test your new home's water within the first month. City averages may not match your specific tap, especially for lead (which comes from building plumbing, not the source). If moving to a hard water area, plan for a softener installation early. Your appliances will thank you.