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Pleasant Hill keeps growing. The Census Bureau estimates 11,942 people lived here in 2024, up from 10,152 in its 2020 base. Most homes get Des Moines water that is softened at the plant. It can still land in the “hard” range, so here is what the public records say and what it means for your home.
| Pleasant Hill At A Glance | What The Record Shows |
|---|---|
| Water supplier | Des Moines Water Works (PWSID IA7727031) for most homes; SE Polk Rural Water (PWSID IA7774701) for eastern parts of the city |
| Water source | Raccoon and Des Moines rivers, treated at Central Iowa Water Works plants that Des Moines Water Works operates |
| Softened at the plant? | Yes, at all three plants (lime at Fleur Drive and L.D. McMullen, reverse osmosis at Saylorville) |
| Hardness | Goal under 150 mg/L (8.76 gpg). 2025 plant averages: Saylorville 145.4, L.D. McMullen 149.2, Fleur Drive 151.6 mg/L |
| Population | 11,942 (Census Vintage 2024 estimate) |
| Old city system | Federal record for Pleasant Hill’s own system (IA7767092) closed January 25, 2005 |
Des Moines Water Works has handled meter reading, billing and customer service for the City of Pleasant Hill since 1999. It also maintains the city’s water mains and provides field service. In federal drinking-water records, Pleasant Hill’s own water system closed on January 25, 2005.
Des Moines Water Works runs three treatment plants for Central Iowa Water Works. Its 2026 water quality report says the L.D. McMullen plant serves the south and west metro, the Saylorville plant serves homes north of Des Moines, and the Fleur Drive plant serves all other areas. The report does not name a plant for Pleasant Hill, so the hardness numbers on this page cover all three. Fleur Drive, the largest, can treat up to 75 million gallons a day from the Raccoon River, the Des Moines River and an infiltration gallery under Water Works Park.
The same report lists eastern parts of Pleasant Hill under SE Polk Rural Water. That district buys its water from Des Moines Water Works. Either way, it is Des Moines water. It just reaches some streets through a different set of pipes.
Des Moines Water Works softens the water before it leaves each plant. Its FAQ says the goal is total hardness under 150 mg/L, or 8.76 grains per gallon. Each plant posts hardness readings every day. In 2025, Saylorville averaged the softest at 145.4 mg/L (8.5 gpg), L.D. McMullen came in at 149.2 mg/L (8.7 gpg), and Fleur Drive was highest at 151.6 mg/L (8.9 gpg).
The number moves with the rivers. The U.S. Geological Survey calls 61 to 120 mg/L moderately hard, 121 to 180 mg/L hard and anything above 180 mg/L very hard. Across 2025, single-day readings at the three plants ran from 94.7 mg/L, a Saylorville low, to 201.0 mg/L, an L.D. McMullen high. Fleur Drive had 353 of its 365 readings in the hard band and 12 above 180 mg/L. L.D. McMullen had 355 hard readings and 9 very hard ones, and Saylorville had 363 hard readings and none above 180.
Rivers also carry nitrate. Des Moines Water Works says nitrate in the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers is frequently elevated. It blends sources and, when needed, removes nitrate with ion exchange. Its 2026 report says treated water has not gone over the 10 mg/L limit since nitrate removal began in 1992.
For a home on Des Moines water, there are three common goals: fewer spots on glasses and shower doors, better-tasting water from the tap, and less scale in the water heater. A softener takes care of the hardness the plant leaves behind. Whole-home carbon cuts the chlorine taste and smell throughout the house. A kitchen reverse osmosis faucet gives you a separate tap for drinking and cooking.
Because plant hardness changes through the year, we test at your kitchen tap and set the softener for the harder months, not the easy ones. Already own a softener that was set up for a well or another town? We can check its hardness setting against the numbers above.
Kind Water Co helps Pleasant Hill homeowners compare water softeners, whole-home carbon filtration, kitchen reverse osmosis and repairs. Published equipment prices include standard installation and taxes. We confirm the plumbing scope, any travel or site-specific charges and the written equipment warranty before booking; installation is handled by vetted licensed and insured local plumbing professionals.
Military and first responders receive $100 off. Request your written installed quote or book a free hardness, iron and TDS screening; the recommendation explains the equipment, plumbing scope, care and warranty.
A private well near Pleasant Hill needs a plan for that property. Bring your latest well lab results; we add hardness, iron and TDS screening and assess pump flow, pressure and sediment. Treatment may combine softening, iron or sulfur treatment, sediment filtration and a suitable drinking-water RO system. A neighboring city’s report cannot describe an individual well. Polk County Environmental Health offers free private-well testing for well users in Polk County. Confirm eligibility and scheduling with the county. Related: guide to free well water testing in Iowa.
Published options: $3,650 dual-tank well package; $3,950 dual-tank well package with tank RO; $500 sediment filtration; $700 Class B supplemental UV for already-safe water. Standard equipment installation and taxes are included. Confirm any additional plumbing, travel and the selected system’s written warranty before booking. Related: well water treatment · well water treatment in Mitchellville.
If an existing softener in Pleasant Hill stops using salt, leaks, runs constantly or leaves hard water, start with diagnosis. Share the brand, model, error code and an optional photo of the valve or plumbing. We assess bypass position, brine draw, controls and the condition of serviceable components, then explain repair versus replacement, parts availability and the cost before proceeding. Ownership includes salt for a salt-based softener, carbon-media replacement and the selected RO filter and membrane schedule. After a Pleasant Hill installation, keep the settings and model information, monitor salt and leaks, and arrange a service check if water use or the supplier changes. Whole-home coverage includes lifetime parts, five-year media and one-year labor under the written terms; RO warranty is confirmed for the selected model.
Share the Pleasant Hill address, water supplier or private-well information, household size and the problem you want solved. An optional photo of the current valve, plumbing and under-sink space helps plan a retrofit or repair. Call the Des Moines team at 515-709-4674 or request the Central Iowa installed quote. Coverage, visit availability, travel and additional work are confirmed before booking. Related: Request a quote · get an instant quote.
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For water softener installation or repair, whole-home water filtration, or an under-sink reverse osmosis system in Pleasant Hill, contact our Des Moines team at 515-709-4674. We test hardness, iron, TDS and nitrate before recommending equipment. Get your Central Iowa installed quote, compare published water system prices, or read our Des Moines metro softener repair guide.
Des Moines Water Works supplies most of Pleasant Hill and has handled the city’s billing and customer service since 1999. Eastern parts of the city are served through SE Polk Rural Water, which buys its water from Des Moines Water Works. Either way, your water comes from Des Moines Water Works.
Des Moines Water Works softens at the plant and aims for under 150 mg/L (8.76 grains per gallon). Its plants’ 2025 averages ran from 145.4 mg/L at Saylorville to 151.6 mg/L at Fleur Drive (8.5 to 8.9 gpg), all in the U.S. Geological Survey’s hard range. We test at your tap and set your softener for the harder months.
That depends on what bothers you. On most days, plant softening leaves the water in the moderately hard to hard range on the U.S. Geological Survey’s scale, not all the way to soft. If spots, soap film or water-heater scale bug you, a home softener finishes the job. If taste is the main issue, a carbon filter or a kitchen reverse osmosis faucet may be all you need.
Yes. Iowa DNR’s well database lists 187 nitrate tests from 103 private wells in the survey township around central Pleasant Hill between 2003 and 2026, and 16 were at or above the 10 mg/L limit. Iowa’s Private Well Grants Program tests private wells for free, and the DNR suggests testing for bacteria and nitrate every year. Bring your latest lab results to your free visit, where our in-home test also gives a nitrate screening reading. A water softener does not remove nitrate. Kind Water Co installs Whole-Home Nitrate Removal as its own tank after the softener. We have your water tested for nitrate and arsenic first, choose the system from the lab results, and test again after installation.
If an existing softener in Pleasant Hill stops using salt, leaks, runs constantly or leaves hard water, start with diagnosis. Share the brand, model, error code and an optional photo of the valve or plumbing. We assess bypass position, brine draw, controls and the condition of serviceable components, then explain repair versus replacement, parts availability and the cost before proceeding.
Published options: $2,500 softener plus carbon; $2,850 softener plus carbon with tank RO; $897 tank RO; $997 tankless RO; $1,900 softener only without carbon. Standard equipment installation and taxes are included. Confirm any additional plumbing, travel and the selected system’s written warranty before booking.
Prices on this page are Kind Water Co’s installed prices, taxes included.
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Kind Water Co is a d/b/a of Zero Cap Investments LLC · 600 SE 15th St, Des Moines, IA 50317
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