How hard is the water in North Highlands, CA?

Tap water hardness
98mg/L
5.7gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Sacramento Suburban Water District · July 2025

CA typical
121 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in North Highlands carries roughly 98 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 5.7 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Sacramento Suburban Water District, dated July 2025.

North Highlands on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+CA typical 121Roseville: 19 mg/LRoseville 19Gold River: 30 mg/LGold River 30Fair Oaks: 53 mg/LFair Oaks 53Carmichael: 74 mg/LCarmichael 74Citrus Heights: 82 mg/LCitrus Heights 82La Riviera: 85 mg/LLa Riviera 85Antelope: 90 mg/LAntelope 90Foothill Farms: 92 mg/LFoothill Farms 92Rio Linda: 93 mg/LRio Linda 93Arden-Arcade: 98 mg/LArden-Arcade 98North Highlands 98mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+CA 121Carmichael: 74 mg/LCarmichael 74Citrus Heights: 82 mg/LCitrus Hei. 82Antelope: 90 mg/LAntelope 90Foothill Farms: 92 mg/LFoothill F. 92Rio Linda: 93 mg/LRio Linda 93Arden-Arcade: 98 mg/LArden-Arca. 9898 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

North Highlands sits 23 mg/L below the typical California figure of 121. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 19 mg/L in Roseville to 98 in Arden-Arcade.

What 98 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 North Highlands

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.7 gpg = 1,287 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 18 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for North Highlands's water system

Sacramento Suburban Water District · PWSID CA3410001

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 194,444 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

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

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 North Highlands water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 98 mg/L (5.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in North Highlands in grains per gallon?

About 5.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 98 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.7.

What size water softener do I need in North Highlands?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.7 gpg works out to about 1,287 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 18 days.

Has the North Highlands water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Sacramento Suburban Water District since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 515 cities in California

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, July 27, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.