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HiringWater Softener

Do I need a water softener in Virginia?

Only if your water is hard enough to cause problems you care about. Virginia Cooperative Extension says hard water is not a health risk and that hardness under 7.0 grains per gallon generally needs no treatment. Ask your water utility for your number or have a lab test your well, then decide based on scale, soap scum and appliance wear.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisUpdated

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Find your hardness

    Ask your local water department for the hardness figure, or have your well water tested by a qualified laboratory.[5][1]

  2. Step 2: Convert the units

    If the result is in mg/L or ppm, divide by 17.1 to get grains per gallon, the unit softeners are set in.[5]

  3. Step 3: Compare it to the scale

    Under 7.0 grains per gallon generally needs no treatment; above that, decide whether scale and soap scum bother you enough to treat.[1]

  4. Step 4: Decide what to soften

    Choose between softening all the water or only the water that is heated, depending on whether scale in the water heater or soap problems are the issue.[1]

  5. Step 5: Think about sodium and potassium

    If anyone in the house is on a sodium-restricted diet, or has kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, talk to their physician before choosing a sodium- or potassium-based softener.[2][3]

  6. Step 6: Hire a licensed plumber

    Get written quotes from businesses with a Virginia plumbing licence and check each one on DPOR's licence lookup.[9][6]

You need a water softener only if hard water is causing problems you want gone. It is not a health question. It is a practical choice about how much hard-water scale and soap scum you are willing to live with, and the answer starts with one number: your water's hardness.

What hard water is, and why it matters

Hard water carries dissolved calcium and magnesium. "While consuming hard water does not present a health risk," Virginia Cooperative Extension notes, it causes nuisance problems,[1] and "There are no EPA public drinking water standards for hard water."[1] Prince William Water says the same of its own supply: "There is no Primary or Secondary standard for water hardness."[4]

The problems are the ones you can see. Extension lists "reduced sudsing and cleaning action of soaps and detergents," soap scum on fixtures and laundry, and scale inside pipes and appliances.[1] It also warns that "Mineral scaling in water heaters can increase heating costs by reducing their efficiency."[1]

Close-up of a faucet aerator crusted with white mineral scale
Photo: Bbypnda, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Find your hardness number

On public water, ask your utility. GE's softener manual says to "have the water tested by a water analysis laboratory or call your local water department."[5] Hardness can differ within one utility: Prince William Water rates its East and West water systems at 3.5 to 7.0 grains per gallon, moderately hard, and its Bull Run Mountain and Evergreen system and its Hoadly Manor system at 7.0 to 10.5, hard.[4] Results in mg/L or ppm convert easily: divide by 17.1 to get grains per gallon.[5]

On a well, test it. Extension says "it is critical to have a water sample analyzed by a certified lab before purchasing any water treatment device,"[2] because what the test finds changes what you need. Retest from time to time: GE's softener manual notes "Water hardness can change over time, especially in well water."[5] There is more on testing and choosing equipment in what water treatment system you need.

How hard is hard enough to treat

Extension's scale, in grains per gallon: soft is under 1.0, slightly hard is 1.0 to 3.5, moderately hard is 3.5 to 7.0, hard is 7.0 to 10.5, and very hard is over 10.5.[1]

Its guidance on when to act is plain: "Generally, water hardness levels less than 7.0 gpg or 120 mg/L do not require treatment, and treatment is only necessary when the hardness level is causing a problem for the homeowner."[1] So a home at 5 grains with no complaints can skip a softener; a home at 12 grains with crusted faucets and a struggling water heater has a good case for one.

Soften all the water, or only some

A softener does not have to treat everything. Extension suggests matching the setup to the problem: "If scale forming in your water heater is an issue, consider softening only water that is to be heated."[1] If soap scum and dull laundry are the complaint, softening all the water entering the house makes more sense. "Water for outdoor use does not need to be softened."[1]

Sodium is the other reason to think about layout. A typical softener adds sodium, "about 1 mg/L of sodium added for every 2.1 mg/L of hardness removed," according to Extension.[3] Extension also advises: "Individuals on restricted-sodium diets should consult a physician before consuming softened water."[2] Extension mentions potassium chloride as an alternative to sodium, though "Potassium chloride is generally more expensive and less available than sodium chloride."[3] It is not risk-free either: "excess potassium in drinking water can also present health risks to certain segments of the population," including people with kidney disease (most at risk), heart disease, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, and some people on certain medications. Extension's advice: "Consult a physician if you are concerned about the levels of sodium or potassium in your drinking water."[3]

What about salt-free and magnetic devices

Plenty of products claim to stop scale without removing hardness. Extension is cautious: "no recognized agency in the United States has established protocol to assess the effectiveness of physical water treatment devices,"[1] while "a protocol has been established to assess the effectiveness of ion exchange water softeners (NSF/ANSI 44)."[1] Extension adds that for devices using mainly magnetic or electrical technology, the hardness of the water before and after treatment is not changed.[1] Ask for independent test results before paying for one.

Hiring someone to install one

A softener is installed close to where the water supply enters the house, upstream of the other plumbing connections, and needs a drain.[5] That makes it a plumbing job. Virginia's Board for Contractors regulations place "Public/private water supply systems within or adjacent to any building, structure, or conveyance" under the plumbing contractor classification,[6] and the regulations add that "The HIC specialty does not provide for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas fitting functions,"[7] so a home improvement licence alone does not cover it. The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code also requires a permit for installations or alterations involving the water supply and distribution system,[8] so ask whether each quote includes the permit and inspection. Check any business on DPOR's licence lookup before you sign.[9] For help choosing equipment, Extension points to the Water Quality Association's Water Quality Specialist certification and to NSF certification marks.[1]

What it costs is covered in how much a water softener costs in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

  • Your well water is rusty, smelly or has never been tested. Get a full lab test first; a softener may be the wrong tool.
  • Water looks blue after a softener goes in. GE's troubleshooting chart lists acidic water in copper plumbing as the cause and says to have the water tested at once.[5]
  • Installing a softener means new piping, a drain line or a new outlet. That is licensed plumbing, and an outlet is electrical work.
  • Someone in the house is on a sodium-restricted diet and you are unsure how to lay out drinking and softened lines.

Getting help in Virginia

Loclis lists DPOR-licensed plumbing businesses with their licence number and class. Look up plumbers in Blacksburg, browse water softener services, or read more plumbing answers.

When you are ready, describe the job once and licensed local businesses quote it.

Common questions

Is hard water bad for my health?
No. Virginia Cooperative Extension says consuming hard water does not present a health risk, and there are no EPA drinking water standards for hardness. The reasons to soften are practical: scale on fixtures and in the water heater, soap scum, and detergents that do not lather well.
Do I need a permit to put in a water softener?
Ask your local building department. The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code requires a permit for installations or alterations involving the water supply and distribution system, so ask whether your plumber's quote includes the permit and inspection.
How do I find out how hard my water is?
On city or county water, ask your water utility or check its website. Prince William Water, for example, publishes hardness for each of its water systems. On a well, have a certified lab test it; Virginia Tech's Virginia Household Water Quality Program runs county testing clinics.
Will a softener fix rusty or smelly well water?
Sometimes partly, often not. Extension says softeners can take out small amounts of iron and manganese, under 5 mg/L of the two combined. Rotten-egg odour, larger amounts of iron and bacteria need other treatment, which is why a full lab test should come before buying anything.
Should I soften the water I drink?
It does not need to be. A sodium-based softener adds sodium as it removes hardness, so some households soften only the hot water or leave a cold drinking tap unsoftened. If anyone is on a sodium-restricted diet, or you are thinking of potassium chloride instead, ask a physician first.

Sources

  1. [1] Virginia Household Water Quality Program: Hardness in Household Water (442-664), Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech. Checked October 26, 2026.
  2. [2] Virginia Household Water Quality Program: Household Water Treatment (442-670), Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech. Checked October 26, 2026.
  3. [3] Virginia Household Water Quality Program: Sodium and Chloride in Household Drinking Water (442-661), Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech. Checked October 26, 2026.
  4. [4] Water Hardness Information, Prince William Water. Checked October 26, 2026.
  5. [5] Water Softening System Owner's Manual and Installation Instructions, GXSH40V and GXSH45V (49-6000299), GE Appliances. Checked October 26, 2026.
  6. [6] 18VAC50-22-20, Board for Contractors Regulations: Definitions of license classifications, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 26, 2026.
  7. [7] 18VAC50-22-30, Board for Contractors Regulations: Definitions of specialty services, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  8. [8] 13VAC5-63-80, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code: Section 108 Application for permit, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 26, 2026.
  9. [9] License Lookup, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 26, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.