Opelika, AL water hardness

Tap water hardness
29mg/L
1.7gpg
Soft

Reported by Opelika Utilities · September 2024

AL typical
73 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
Utility report

Opelika water measures 29 mg/L (1.7 gpg) of hardness, soft by USGS standards. The number comes from Opelika Utilities, dated September 2024.

Opelika on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+AL typical 73Millbrook: 11 mg/LMillbrook 11Prattville: 19 mg/LPrattville 19Alexander City: 21 mg/LAlexander City 21Roanoke: 34 mg/LRoanoke 34Pike Road: 38 mg/LPike Road 38Montgomery: 38 mg/LMontgomery 38Tuskegee: 65 mg/LTuskegee 65Auburn: 73 mg/LAuburn 73Sylacauga: 94 mg/LSylacauga 94Talladega: 134 mg/LTalladega 134Opelika 29mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+AL 73Alexander City: 21 mg/LAlexander. 21Roanoke: 34 mg/LRoanoke 34Pike Road: 38 mg/LPike Road 38Montgomery: 38 mg/LMontgomery 38Tuskegee: 65 mg/LTuskegee 65Auburn: 73 mg/LAuburn 7329 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 29 mg/L, Opelika is 44 mg/L below the typical Alabama figure of 73. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 11 mg/L in Millbrook to 134 in Talladega.

What 29 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 29 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Opelika's water system

Opelika, WW BD. of the City of · PWSID AL0000816

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 56,520 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)'16'18'20'22'24'26Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct12018Resolved

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 Opelika water hard?

No. It measures about 29 mg/L (1.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 29 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.7.

Has the Opelika water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Opelika, WW BD. of the City of since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 2 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, September 2, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.