Hard water in Security-Widefield, CO
Reported by Widefield WSD · May 2025
- CO typical
- 97 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- Utility report
Tap water in Security-Widefield has about 335 mg/L of hardness, which is 19.6 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as very hard. The number comes from Widefield WSD, dated May 2025.
Security-Widefield sits 238 mg/L above the typical Colorado figure of 97. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 36 mg/L in Cimarron Hills to 335 in Fountain.
What 335 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 335 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 × 19.6 gpg = 4,408 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 7 days.
EPA record for Security-Widefield's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 27,640 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 69
- Open now
- 0
TapWaterData ties Security-Widefield to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Security-Widefield, so check the utility printed on your water bill.
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct | 1 | 2017 | Resolved |
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 Security-Widefield water hard?
Yes. It measures about 335 mg/L (19.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Security-Widefield in grains per gallon?
About 19.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 335 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 19.6.
What size water softener do I need in Security-Widefield?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 19.6 gpg works out to about 4,408 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 7 days.
Has the Security-Widefield water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Widefield WSD since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 69 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Stratmoor50 mg/LSoft
- Fountain335 mg/LVery hard
- Fort Carson335 mg/LVery hard
- Cimarron Hills36 mg/LSoft
- Colorado Springs36 mg/LSoft
- Pueblo West169 mg/LHard
- Pueblo139 mg/LHard
- Cañon City132 mg/LHard
- Meridian96 mg/LModerately hard
- Dove Valley96 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, May 6, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.