Westminster's water comes from one place, Standley Lake, and it's moderately hard to hard.
Westminster water heaters at a glance
| Water provider | City of Westminster. Its only source is Standley Lake. |
|---|---|
| Water hardness | 112 to 152 mg/L in 2025, about 7 to 9 grains per gallon |
| Homes | Median year built 1987, with most homes built in the 1970s and 80s |
| Elevation | About 5,381 feet (USGS reference point) |
| For your water heater | Noticeable sediment. Flush yearly, check the anode every few years, and descale a tankless unit at least once a year. |
Sources: Westminster 2026 water quality report · Census ACS 2019–2023 via Point2Homes · USGS elevation. Checked October 2026.
What Westminster's water does to a water heater
When water is heated, the calcium and magnesium in it drop out as sediment and settle on the bottom of the tank. The burner or lower element then has to heat through that layer, so the heater runs longer, pops and rumbles, and wears faster. Westminster's water, all from Standley Lake, measured 112 to 152 mg/L of hardness in 2025 (about 7 to 9 grains per gallon). Noticeable sediment. Flush yearly, check the anode every few years, and descale a tankless unit at least once a year.
1970s and 80s houses, second and third heaters
Most of Westminster's houses were built in the 1970s and 80s, so most are on their second or third water heater, often tucked into a garage, a basement corner, or a closet in a split-level. Replacements in these houses usually involve updating the connectors and the shutoff valve and checking that the new tank fits the old spot. At 7 to 9 grains of hardness, a tank that's never been flushed usually has a thick layer of sediment by the time it's replaced.
Repair or replace?
Under about eight years old, with a failed part like a thermocouple, gas valve, heating element, or thermostat, a repair usually makes sense. At about ten years or older, or with any leak from the tank itself, replacement is the better money: a leaking tank can't be fixed. You get the price before any work starts, and most replacements are done the same day they're quoted, with the old unit hauled away. A replacement is also the time to check whether you need an expansion tank (when one is required).
Gas or electric, tank or tankless
We repair and replace both gas and electric water heaters, standard tanks and tankless units. Tankless works, but at this hardness the heat exchanger scales up. Descale at least once a year, or pair it with a softener.
At about 5,381 feet (Westminster's USGS reference point), a gas water heater has to be rated for the altitude, and a tankless heater set for it at installation. Rinnai and Navien change their tankless settings at 5,400 feet, and elevations vary across the city, so the setting should match your address. What to check at altitude.
Make the next one last
- Flush the tank once a year, and more often if it pops or rumbles
- Check the anode rod every couple of years
- Consider a softener, which protects the heater and every fixture in the house
- Know where the cold-water shutoff on top of the heater is, and how to turn the heater off, before you need to
More reading: water heater leaking? what to do, no hot water troubleshooting, how long water heaters last in Colorado, why a water heater pops or rumbles, and water hardness by city. If your water is hard, a softener protects the heater and every fixture.
Recent water heater work
Photos from our own jobs. Locations and customer details are left out.
More in Westminster: backflow testing in Westminster · all plumbing services in Westminster