How hard is the water in Rio Linda, CA?

Tap water hardness
93mg/L
5.5gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water Dist · August 2020

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

The water in Rio Linda carries roughly 93 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 5.5 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water Dist, dated August 2020.

Rio Linda on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+CA typical 121Roseville: 19 mg/LRoseville 19Sacramento: 45 mg/LSacramento 45Fair 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 92North Highlands: 98 mg/LNorth Highlands 98Arden-Arcade: 98 mg/LArden-Arcade 98Rio Linda 93mg/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. 92North Highlands: 98 mg/LNorth High. 98Arden-Arcade: 98 mg/LArden-Arca. 9893 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 93 mg/L, Rio Linda is 28 mg/L below the typical California figure of 121. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 8 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 19 mg/L in Roseville to 98 in North Highlands.

What 93 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 Rio Linda

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.5 gpg = 1,228 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 19 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Rio Linda's water system

Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water Dist · PWSID CA3410018

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 15,460 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

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 Rio Linda water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 93 mg/L (5.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Rio Linda in grains per gallon?

About 5.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 93 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.5.

What size water softener do I need in Rio Linda?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.5 gpg works out to about 1,228 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 19 days.

Has the Rio Linda water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water Dist since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 515 cities in California

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 31, 2020), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.