How hard is the water in Sheffield, AL?

Tap water hardness
73mg/L
4.3gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Sheffield Utilities Department · May 2022

AL typical
73 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Sheffield has about 73 mg/L of hardness, which is 4.3 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Sheffield Utilities Department, dated May 2022.

Sheffield on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+AL typical 73Hamilton: 38 mg/LHamilton 38Florence: 62 mg/LFlorence 62Muscle Shoals: 71 mg/LMuscle Shoals 71Decatur: 74 mg/LDecatur 74Harvest: 78 mg/LHarvest 78Russellville: 88 mg/LRussellville 88Triana: 100 mg/LTriana 100Athens: 112 mg/LAthens 112Madison: 112 mg/LMadison 112Tuscumbia: 120 mg/LTuscumbia 120Sheffield 73mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+AL 73Florence: 62 mg/LFlorence 62Muscle Shoals: 71 mg/LMuscle Sho. 71Decatur: 74 mg/LDecatur 74Russellville: 88 mg/LRussellvil. 88Athens: 112 mg/LAthens 112Tuscumbia: 120 mg/LTuscumbia 12073 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 73 mg/L, Sheffield is close to the typical Alabama figure of 73 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 38 mg/L in Hamilton to 120 in Tuscumbia.

What 73 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 Sheffield

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.3 gpg = 958 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 25 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Sheffield's water system

Sheffield Utilities, City of Sheffield · PWSID AL0000327

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 13,758 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
1
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 byproduct22025Resolved

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 Sheffield water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 73 mg/L (4.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 73 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.3.

What size water softener do I need in Sheffield?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.3 gpg works out to about 958 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 25 days.

Has the Sheffield water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Sheffield Utilities, City of Sheffield since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 91 cities in Alabama

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, May 24, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.