How hard is the water in Cape Coral, FL?

Tap water hardness
60mg/L
3.5gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Cape Coral, City of · September 2025

FL typical
120 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Cape Coral has about 60 mg/L of hardness, which is 3.5 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Cape Coral, City of, dated September 2025.

Cape Coral on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+FL typical 120Tice: 43 mg/LTice 43Fort Myers: 47 mg/LFort Myers 47Pelican Bay: 60 mg/LPelican Bay 60Bonita Springs: 69 mg/LBonita Springs 69North Port: 83 mg/LNorth Port 83North Fort Myers: 262 mg/LNorth Fort Myers 262Estero: 262 mg/LEstero 262Lehigh Acres: 262 mg/LLehigh Acres 262Punta Gorda: 295 mg/LPunta Gorda 295Port Charlotte: 295 mg/LPort Charlotte 295Cape Coral 60mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+FL 120Tice: 43 mg/LTice 43Fort Myers: 47 mg/LFort Myers 47North Fort Myers: 262 mg/LNorth Fort. 262Estero: 262 mg/LEstero 262Lehigh Acres: 262 mg/LLehigh Acr. 262Punta Gorda: 295 mg/LPunta Gorda 29560 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 60 mg/L, Cape Coral is 60 mg/L below the typical Florida figure of 120. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 43 mg/L in Tice to 295 in Punta Gorda.

What 60 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 Cape Coral

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.5 gpg = 790 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 30 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Cape Coral's water system

Cape Coral, City of · PWSID FL5360325

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 172,693 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12022Resolved

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 Cape Coral water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 60 mg/L (3.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Cape Coral in grains per gallon?

About 3.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 60 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.5.

What size water softener do I need in Cape Coral?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.5 gpg works out to about 790 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 30 days.

Has the Cape Coral water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Cape Coral, City of since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. There were also 3 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 214 cities in Florida

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 23, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.