Hard water in Wasilla, AK
Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · April 2022
- AK typical
- 110 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Calculated from utility data
The water in Wasilla carries roughly 123 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 7.2 grains per gallon. That is hard water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (April 2022).
At 123 mg/L, Wasilla is 13 mg/L above the typical Alaska figure of 110. None of the 2 nearest cities we track has harder water.
What 123 mg/L means at home
Expect white crust on faucets and showerheads, plus spots on dishes that come out of the dishwasher.
Kettles collect scale quickly. Water heaters build up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which makes them work harder over time.
Soap and detergent need a little more to lather, and soap scum shows up in the tub.
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 123 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 × 7.2 gpg = 1,622 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 14 days.
EPA record for Wasilla's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 18,492 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 77
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Wasilla.
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 Wasilla water hard?
Yes. It measures about 123 mg/L (7.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in Wasilla in grains per gallon?
About 7.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 123 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 7.2.
What size water softener do I need in Wasilla?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 7.2 gpg works out to about 1,622 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 14 days.
Has the Wasilla water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Wasilla Water System since 2016. There were also 77 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, April 26, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.