How hard is the water in Hacienda Heights, CA?

Tap water hardness
117mg/L
6.8gpg
Moderately hardReports range 88–117

Reported by San Gabriel Valley Water CO.-El Monte · September 2025

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

Tap water in Hacienda Heights has about 117 mg/L of hardness, which is 6.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from San Gabriel Valley Water CO.-El Monte, dated September 2025. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 88 to 117 mg/L.

Hacienda Heights on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+CA typical 121Avocado Heights: 34 mg/LAvocado Heights 34West Whittier-Los Nietos: 75 mg/LWest Whittier-Los Nietos 75West Puente Valley: 109 mg/LWest Puente Valley 109Rowland Heights: 160 mg/LRowland Heights 160La Habra: 168 mg/LLa Habra 168West Covina: 170 mg/LWest Covina 170East Whittier: 174 mg/LEast Whittier 174South Whittier: 174 mg/LSouth Whittier 174South San Jose Hills: 208 mg/LSouth San Jose Hills 208Valinda: 223 mg/LValinda 223Hacienda Heights 117mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+CA 121Avocado Heights: 34 mg/LAvocado He. 34West Puente Valley: 109 mg/LWest Puent. 109La Habra: 168 mg/LLa Habra 168East Whittier: 174 mg/LEast Whitt. 174South San Jose Hills: 208 mg/LSouth San. 208Valinda: 223 mg/LValinda 223117 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 117 mg/L, Hacienda Heights is close to the typical California figure of 121 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 34 mg/L in Avocado Heights to 223 in Valinda.

What 117 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 Hacienda Heights

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.8 gpg = 1,534 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 15 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Hacienda Heights's water system

San Gabriel Valley Water CO.-El Monte · PWSID CA1910039

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 240,000 people from groundwater.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

TapWaterData ties Hacienda Heights to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Hacienda Heights, so check the utility printed on your water bill.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Groundwater Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Groundwater Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Groundwater Ruletreatment of well water22018–2019Resolved

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 Hacienda Heights water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 117 mg/L (6.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Hacienda Heights in grains per gallon?

About 6.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 117 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.8.

What size water softener do I need in Hacienda Heights?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.8 gpg works out to about 1,534 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 15 days.

Has the Hacienda Heights water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for San Gabriel Valley Water CO.-El Monte since 2016, involving Groundwater Rule.

Nearby cities

All 515 cities in California

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 29, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.