Hard water in Montevallo, AL
Reported by Montevallo Water Works & Sewer · April 2024
- AL typical
- 73 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Montevallo carries roughly 263 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 15.4 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from Montevallo Water Works & Sewer, dated April 2024.
At 263 mg/L, Montevallo is 190 mg/L above the typical Alabama figure of 73. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 53 mg/L in Clanton to 196 in Calera.
What 263 mg/L means at home
Scale forms fast here. Kettles and coffee makers need regular descaling, and showerheads clog unless you clean them.
Tank water heaters collect mineral sediment that insulates the water from the burner, so flushing the tank matters more than usual.
Dishes and glass shower doors spot easily. Soap scum and a dull film on hair or laundry are common complaints.
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
At 263 mg/L most of the trouble is scale, and only a few things deal with it.
Ion-exchange water softener
The standard whole-house fix. It swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and needs salt plus a drain. Size it with the calculator below.
Salt-free conditioner
No salt and no drain line. It changes how minerals form scale instead of removing them, so water still tests hard.
Reverse osmosis or carbon filter
Under-sink reverse osmosis removes minerals from drinking water only. Plain carbon filters improve taste but do not soften.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 15.4 gpg = 3,460 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 9 days.
EPA record for Montevallo's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 10,746 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 1
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2)filtration and disinfection | 1 | 2021 | 1 open |
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 Montevallo water hard?
Yes. It measures about 263 mg/L (15.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Montevallo in grains per gallon?
About 15.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 263 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 15.4.
What size water softener do I need in Montevallo?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 15.4 gpg works out to about 3,460 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 9 days.
Has the Montevallo water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Montevallo Water Works & Sewer Board since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2).
Nearby cities
- Calera196 mg/LVery hard
- Alabaster193 mg/LVery hard
- Helena190 mg/LVery hard
- Columbiana86 mg/LModerately hard
- Pelham169 mg/LHard
- Bessemer113 mg/LModerately hard
- Hueytown113 mg/LModerately hard
- Homewood77 mg/LModerately hard
- Clanton53 mg/LSoft
- Mountain Brook77 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, April 19, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.