What comes out of a Longview hose
| Measure in the 2025 report | Range | Why a pool owner cares |
|---|---|---|
| Total hardness | 56.4–72.5 ppm (3.3–4.2 grains) | Soft; plaster pools need calcium added |
| Calcium | 16.9–23.8 ppm | The part of hardness that protects plaster |
| Total alkalinity | 22.6–37.5 ppm | Low buffering, so pH swings easily |
| Sodium | 8.9–14.8 ppm | A trace; a salt pool still needs a full salt charge |
| Chloramines (disinfectant) | 2.78 ppm average | Fresh fill water arrives with combined chlorine |
City of Longview 2025 Water Quality Report (PDF). The city blends Lake Cherokee, the Sabine River and Lake O' the Pines, so a reading can shift from month to month.
Why soft water matters for a new pool
Leslie's puts the ideal calcium hardness for a pool at 200–400 ppm and warns that water below that is corrosive: it pulls calcium from plaster, concrete, grout and tile, which leads to pitting, and attacks metal such as rails and equipment (Leslie's). Hayward's manual describes the same balance with a saturation index: below −0.2 the water is corrosive and "plaster pool walls will be dissolved into the water"; above +0.2 it scales and stains (Hayward).
With Longview tap water at roughly a third of the low end of that range, a new gunite pool will likely need calcium and alkalinity raised at start-up. Fiberglass and vinyl have no plaster to protect, but the metal parts still benefit from balanced water. Ask your builder who does the start-up chemistry, and get the water tested by a pool store, not just by strips, after the first fill.
Salt and chlorine compared
| Option | Salt chlorine generator | Added chlorine |
|---|---|---|
| Day-one cost | $1,100–2,200 (This Old House) | A tablet feeder or floater |
| Ongoing purchases | Salt to replace splash-out and backwash | Chlorine tablets or liquid all season |
| Target | Salt 2,700–3,400 ppm, ideally 3,200 | Free chlorine 1 ppm or more |
| Cold weather | Cell shuts off below 50°F water | No change |
| With soft water | Unbalanced water can scale or etch the cell plates | Low-alkalinity fill water lets pH drift; test often |
Salt figures from the Hayward AquaRite manual; chlorine target from the CDC, which also sets pH at 7.0–7.8 with at least 1 ppm free chlorine (2 ppm with stabilizer).
Living with a salt cell here
Hayward asks owners to open and look at the cell roughly every 500 hours of running and clean off any light, crusty scale. It also warns that a high salt level can shut the unit down and starts to taste at around 3,500–4,000 ppm (Hayward). Rain is the local wrinkle: Longview averages more than 45 inches a year (NOAA), and heavy storms overflow the pool and dilute the salt, so re-test after a wet week. In Gregg County the January mean low is 34.2°F (Texas Almanac), and the cell stops working once the water drops under 50°F, so plan to check chlorine by hand in winter.
Choosing
- Pick salt if you want fewer chemical runs and will keep the water balanced and the cell clean.
- Pick chlorine if you want the lowest equipment cost or have natural stone you'd rather not seal.
- Either way, budget for calcium and alkalinity at start-up on a plaster pool, because of the soft tap water.
For the rest of the year's routine, see pool care by season.
Common questions
Is Longview water hard or soft?
Soft. The 2025 report lists total hardness of 56.4–72.5 ppm, about 3.3–4.2 grains per gallon (City of Longview).
Will soft water hurt a plaster pool?
It can if left that way. Water below about 200 ppm calcium hardness tends to pull calcium out of plaster and grout (Leslie's), so pool water is raised to a balanced level.
Does a salt pool need less chlorine?
It needs the same chlorine level in the water. The difference is that the cell makes it on site instead of you adding it.
Does a salt cell work in winter?
A typical cell, such as Hayward's AquaRite, stops generating below 50°F water, so test and add chlorine by hand during cold spells.
Sources & further reading
- City of Longview: 2025 Water Quality Report. Hardness, alkalinity, sodium, chloramines
- Leslie's: balancing calcium hardness. 200–400 ppm target; effects of soft water
- Hayward AquaRite owner manual (092538 Rev D). Salt levels, saturation index, cell care, 50°F cutoff
- This Old House: inground pool cost (updated Jun 2025). Salt system cost
- CDC: home pool water treatment and testing (May 2024)
- Texas Almanac: Gregg County. January mean low
Editorial note: General planning information, not engineering or legal advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rules with your local officials and a qualified pro.