Hard water in Forrest City, AR

Tap water hardness
310mg/L
18.1gpg
Very hard

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · May 2022

AR typical
39 mg/L
Softener for 3 people
32k grain
Data
Calculated from utility data

The water in Forrest City carries roughly 310 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 18.1 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (May 2022).

Forrest City on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+AR typical 39Ward: 12 mg/LWard 12Paragould: 12 mg/LParagould 12Heber Springs: 17 mg/LHeber Springs 17Cabot: 28 mg/LCabot 28Searcy: 29 mg/LSearcy 29Jacksonville: 38 mg/LJacksonville 38Sherwood: 38 mg/LSherwood 38Jonesboro: 60 mg/LJonesboro 60Stuttgart: 92 mg/LStuttgart 92Batesville: 135 mg/LBatesville 135Forrest City 310mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+AR 39Ward: 12 mg/LWard 12Cabot: 28 mg/LCabot 28Searcy: 29 mg/LSearcy 29Jonesboro: 60 mg/LJonesboro 60Stuttgart: 92 mg/LStuttgart 92Batesville: 135 mg/LBatesville 135310 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 310 mg/L, Forrest City is 271 mg/L above the typical Arkansas figure of 39. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 12 mg/L in Ward to 135 in Batesville.

What 310 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 310 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.

Softener size for Forrest City

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 18.1 gpg = 4,075 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 7 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Forrest City's water system

We could not match Forrest City to a community water system in EPA's records. Your water bill or the yearly Consumer Confidence Report names the system and its ID.

Questions

Is Forrest City water hard?

Yes. It measures about 310 mg/L (18.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

What is the water hardness in Forrest City in grains per gallon?

About 18.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 310 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 18.1.

What size water softener do I need in Forrest City?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 18.1 gpg works out to about 4,075 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 7 days.

Nearby cities

All 46 cities in Arkansas

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, May 10, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.