Star, Idaho
Water softeners and well water treatment in Star, Idaho
Star is our home base. We test district water at your home for free and set up a certified lab test for private wells. Then we explain what we find in plain words.
- Public water
- Star Sewer & Water District
- Source
- Deep wells, chlorinated
- Typical hardness
- About 8 gpg (hard)
Our home base
A Star company, testing Star water
Soft Water Specialist is based right here in Star. Our owner started the company to help people understand what's in their water and fix it for the whole home, without pressure.
Licensed journeyman plumbers do our installs, and we stay close by for salt refills, annual service and retesting. We work in town and out on acreage, on both sides of the river, and travel from Boise west to Fruitland.
Reach us in Star
- Phone
- (208) 860-4239
- Monday
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Tuesday to Friday
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday
- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where Star's tap water comes from
In town, water comes from the Star Sewer & Water District, the provider the City of Star lists. The district runs separately from the city and serves Star plus nearby land in both Ada and Canyon counties.
Its main well draws from about 700 feet down, four more reach past 300 feet, and two new wells are on the way. The district adds a small amount of chlorine to disinfect the water.
Outside the district's lines, homes on acreage usually rely on a private or shared well.
What the 2025 water report shows
The district's yearly report listed no violations for 2025. Here are the results most useful for planning treatment.
| What was tested | Range found | Federal limit |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Not detected to 3.6 ppb | 10 ppb |
| Nitrate | Not detected to 1.5 ppm | 10 ppm |
| Chlorine | 0.40 to 0.52 ppm | 4 ppm |
| Lead at sampled taps | 0 of 30 sites over | 15 ppb action level |
Hardness isn't in the report. Read every year's report on the district's website.
Orange water or a rotten-egg smell
The district says discolored water comes from natural iron and manganese reacting with its chlorine, and a sulfur smell comes from hydrogen sulfide, which often forms in water heaters. For discolored water, it suggests running one cold tap to flush it. If either keeps coming back, mention it at your water test.
Hard water in Star homes
Average readings from local water tests put Star at about 8 grains per gallon (gpg), which is hard on the USGS scale below. Your home can test higher or lower. On district water, our free in-home test gives you your own number. On a well, the certified lab test does.
Scale: U.S. Geological Survey hardness classes. 1 grain per gallon = 17.1 mg/L as calcium carbonate.
Local water data
What local water tests show in Star
Average readings from local water tests in the Star and Eagle area (ZIP codes 83669 and 83616) show hardness of about 8 gpg and total dissolved solids (TDS) of about 326 ppm. TDS measures everything dissolved in the water, mostly minerals.
The same tests show a pattern across town. Nitrate tends to run higher in northern Star. Arsenic and nitrate both tend to run lower in southern Star.
These are area averages, so your water can differ from your neighbor's. If you're on a well north of town, a nitrate test is a good place to start. See well water treatment for options.
Star area averages
- Hardness
- About 8 gpg (hard)
- Total dissolved solids
- About 326 ppm
- Northern Star
- Nitrate tends to run higher
- Southern Star
- Arsenic and nitrate tend to run lower
- Source
- Average readings from local water tests
Private wells
Wells on both sides of the county line
Star straddles the Ada and Canyon county line. Central District Health covers the Ada County side and recommends testing a well yearly for bacteria and nitrate. Southwest District Health covers the Canyon County side and offers well sampling for a fee.
Idaho DEQ tracks a Northeast Star Nitrate Priority Area. Its 2020 study found nitrate rising in wells there, with a median of 15 mg/L in 2012 to 2016 samples. The drinking water limit is 10 mg/L.
What fits Star water
Your results decide it.
Water softener
For hard water. Less scale in your water heater, fewer spots on glass, better lather.
Water softenersReverse osmosis
A kitchen tap that reduces nitrate, arsenic, lead and other dissolved contaminants.
Drinking water systemsWell water treatment
For iron staining, sulfur smell, nitrate, arsenic or bacteria, with UV when a test calls for it.
Well water treatmentStar water questions
Does Star's water report list hardness?
No. It covers regulated items like arsenic, nitrate and chlorine. Average readings from local water tests put Star at about 8 gpg, and our free in-home test on district water measures yours, so you can decide if a water softener is worth it.
My well is on the Canyon County side. Who do I call?
Southwest District Health runs the private water program for Canyon County, and Central District Health covers Ada County. We can also set up a certified lab test for your well and design a system around the lab report.
Is nitrate a concern near Star?
For some wells, yes. DEQ has measured rising nitrate northeast of town, and local water tests show nitrate tends to run higher in northern Star. District water tested well under the limit in 2025. On a well, test yearly and see well water treatment for options.
Is the water test free if I'm on a well?
The free in-home test is for district (city) water. It checks hardness, pH, TDS, nitrates and chlorine. A well needs a certified lab test, which has a lab fee. Results take about a week, and we go over the report with you before we recommend anything.
Book a free water test in Star
You're close to home for us. On district water, we test at your home for free, explain the results and give you a written quote. On a well, we start with a certified lab test. There's no pressure to buy.