Hard water in University of California-Davis, CA
Reported by City of Davis · October 2025
- CA typical
- 121 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
Tap water in University of California-Davis has about 212 mg/L of hardness, which is 12.4 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as very hard. The number comes from City of Davis, dated October 2025. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 212 to 425 mg/L.
University of California-Davis sits 91 mg/L above the typical California figure of 121. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 25 mg/L in Lemon Hill to 152 in Dixon.
What 212 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 212 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.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 12.4 gpg = 2,790 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.
EPA record for University of California-Davis's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 67,826 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
TapWaterData ties University of California-Davis to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name University of California-Davis, 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 University of California-Davis water hard?
Yes. It measures about 212 mg/L (12.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in University of California-Davis in grains per gallon?
About 12.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 212 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 12.4.
What size water softener do I need in University of California-Davis?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 12.4 gpg works out to about 2,790 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.
Has the University of California-Davis water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for City of Davis since 2016.
Nearby cities
- Davis68 mg/LModerately hard
- Dixon152 mg/LHard
- Woodland44 mg/LSoft
- West Sacramento35 mg/LSoft
- Sacramento45 mg/LSoft
- Lemon Hill25 mg/LSoft
- Fruitridge Pocket25 mg/LSoft
- Parkway66 mg/LModerately hard
- Vacaville94 mg/LModerately hard
- Florin66 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, October 1, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.