Hillsboro, OR tap water
Supplied mostly by City of Hillsboro, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chlorine or chloramine
Utilities here use chlorine or chloramine, depending on which one serves your address. Chlorine slowly gases off from standing water; chloramine doesn't.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figure0.9–2 ppm (Low)
Typical 0.9 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From the utility that supplies yours: Joint Water Commission, which supplies City of Hillsboro; EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure7–80 ppm
Typical 9 ppm
Soft. Good for tetras, rasboras and most shrimp. Livebearers, snails and African cichlids prefer harder water.
From the utility that supplies yours: Portland Water Bureau, which supplies Tualatin Valley Water District (2025).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Supplier's figure22–33 ppm
Typical 28 ppm
Little buffering. pH can drop quickly between water changes, especially with CO₂ or an older tank.
From the utility that supplies yours: Joint Water Commission, which supplies City of Hillsboro; Portland Water Bureau and Joint Water Commission, which supplies Tualatin Valley Water District (2014–2019).
pH
Supplier's figure8–9
Typical 8.5
Alkaline. Many utilities raise pH to protect pipes. Stability matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: Portland Water Bureau, which supplies Tualatin Valley Water District (2025).
Who supplies Hillsboro, OR
City of Hillsboro
Serves 80% of residents · Buys water from Joint Water Commission · Chlorine
Tualatin Valley Water District
Serves 18% of residents · Buys water from Portland Water Bureau · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.