Hard water in Wellington, CO

Tap water hardness
218mg/L
12.8gpg
Very hard

Reported by Wellington Town of · September 2025

CO typical
97 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
3
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Wellington has about 218 mg/L of hardness, which is 12.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as very hard. The number comes from Wellington Town of, dated September 2025.

Wellington on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+CO typical 97Longmont: 20 mg/LLongmont 20Loveland: 28 mg/LLoveland 28Windsor: 31 mg/LWindsor 31Berthoud: 36 mg/LBerthoud 36Mead: 36 mg/LMead 36Greeley: 37 mg/LGreeley 37Timnath: 41 mg/LTimnath 41Fort Collins: 42 mg/LFort Collins 42Johnstown: 59 mg/LJohnstown 59Evans: 415 mg/LEvans 415Wellington 218mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+CO 97Loveland: 28 mg/LLoveland 28Windsor: 31 mg/LWindsor 31Greeley: 37 mg/LGreeley 37Timnath: 41 mg/LTimnath 41Fort Collins: 42 mg/LFort Colli. 42Johnstown: 59 mg/LJohnstown 59218 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 218 mg/L, Wellington is 121 mg/L above the typical Colorado figure of 97. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 9 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 20 mg/L in Longmont to 415 in Evans.

What 218 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 218 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.

Softener size for Wellington

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 12.8 gpg = 2,869 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Wellington's water system

Wellington Town of · PWSID CO0135838

3 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 11,720 people from surface water.

Health-based
3
Monitoring or reporting
22
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment RuleDisinfection byproducts rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment RuleDisinfection byproducts rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection22023Resolved
Disinfection byproducts ruletreatment requirement12016Resolved

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 Wellington water hard?

Yes. It measures about 218 mg/L (12.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

What is the water hardness in Wellington in grains per gallon?

About 12.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 218 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 12.8.

What size water softener do I need in Wellington?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 12.8 gpg works out to about 2,869 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.

Has the Wellington water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 3 health-based violations for Wellington Town of since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule, Disinfection byproducts rule. There were also 22 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 64 cities in Colorado

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 1, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.