How hard is the water in American Canyon, CA?

Tap water hardness
65mg/L
3.8gpg
Moderately hardReports range 17–65

Reported by American Canyon, City of · February 2023

CA typical
121 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
9
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in American Canyon carries roughly 65 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.8 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from American Canyon, City of, dated February 2023. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 17 to 65 mg/L.

American Canyon on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+CA typical 121Rodeo: 34 mg/LRodeo 34Hercules: 34 mg/LHercules 34Pinole: 34 mg/LPinole 34El Sobrante: 48 mg/LEl Sobrante 48Napa: 54 mg/LNapa 54Benicia: 56 mg/LBenicia 56Vallejo: 82 mg/LVallejo 82Sonoma: 84 mg/LSonoma 84Suisun City: 107 mg/LSuisun City 107Fairfield: 109 mg/LFairfield 109American Canyon 65mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+CA 121Rodeo: 34 mg/LRodeo 34Hercules: 34 mg/LHercules 34Pinole: 34 mg/LPinole 34Napa: 54 mg/LNapa 54Benicia: 56 mg/LBenicia 56Vallejo: 82 mg/LVallejo 8265 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

American Canyon sits 56 mg/L below the typical California figure of 121. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 34 mg/L in Rodeo to 109 in Fairfield.

What 65 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 American Canyon

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.8 gpg = 850 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 28 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for American Canyon's water system

American Canyon, City of · PWSID CA2810005

9 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 18,423 people from surface water.

Health-based
9
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 byproduct92017–2019Resolved

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 American Canyon water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 65 mg/L (3.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in American Canyon in grains per gallon?

About 3.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 65 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.8.

What size water softener do I need in American Canyon?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.8 gpg works out to about 850 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 28 days.

Has the American Canyon water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 9 health-based violations for American Canyon, City of 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 515 cities in California

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, February 28, 2023), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.