How hard is the water in Gadsden, AL?

Tap water hardness
63mg/L
3.7gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board · June 2022

AL typical
73 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Gadsden carries roughly 63 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.7 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board, dated June 2022.

Gadsden on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+AL typical 73Albertville: 34 mg/LAlbertville 34Saks: 63 mg/LSaks 63Anniston: 63 mg/LAnniston 63Guntersville: 69 mg/LGuntersville 69Rainbow City: 111 mg/LRainbow City 111Southside: 112 mg/LSouthside 112Oneonta: 116 mg/LOneonta 116Jacksonville: 120 mg/LJacksonville 120Attalla: 134 mg/LAttalla 134Glencoe: 168 mg/LGlencoe 168Gadsden 63mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+AL 73Albertville: 34 mg/LAlbertville 34Rainbow City: 111 mg/LRainbow Ci. 111Southside: 112 mg/LSouthside 112Jacksonville: 120 mg/LJacksonvil. 120Attalla: 134 mg/LAttalla 134Glencoe: 168 mg/LGlencoe 16863 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

At 63 mg/L, Gadsden is close to the typical Alabama figure of 73 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 34 mg/L in Albertville to 168 in Glencoe.

What 63 mg/L means at home

You may see faint white spots on glasses and shower doors after the water dries.

Scale builds up slowly. A kettle or coffee maker needs descaling now and then, maybe every few months.

Hardness is not a health problem, and EPA sets no limit for it. It is a matter of scale and soap.

What to do about it

Optional. Plenty of households at this level live with it and descale the kettle now and then.

Water softener

Worth a look if spots on glass bother you, or if your tankless water heater manual asks for softer water.

Carbon filter

Improves taste and removes chlorine. It leaves calcium and magnesium in place.

Softener size for Gadsden

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.7 gpg = 833 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 28 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Gadsden's water system

Gadsden, the WWSB of the City of · PWSID AL0000577

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 44,637 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
23
Open now
0

Health-based means a contaminant above its legal limit or a missed treatment step. Monitoring and reporting violations are late or missing tests and notices. Source: EPA ECHO, 2026Q3 export, violations with periods starting 2016 or later. Full EPA record.

Questions

Is Gadsden water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 63 mg/L (3.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Gadsden in grains per gallon?

About 3.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 63 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.7.

What size water softener do I need in Gadsden?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.7 gpg works out to about 833 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 28 days.

Has the Gadsden water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Gadsden, the WWSB of the City of since 2016. There were also 23 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 91 cities in Alabama

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 21, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.