Hard water in Immokalee, FL
County estimate from 12,616 water samples in Collier County · July 2026
- FL typical
- 120 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- County estimate
Water samples from around Immokalee put hardness at about 288 mg/L (16.8 gpg), which would be very hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 12,616 samples taken across Collier County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Immokalee's treated tap water.
Immokalee sits 168 mg/L above the typical Florida figure of 120. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 43 mg/L in Tice to 262 in Lehigh Acres.
What 288 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 288 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 × 16.8 gpg = 3,789 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.
EPA record for Immokalee's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 26,841 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 13
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Immokalee.
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 Immokalee water hard?
Yes. It measures about 288 mg/L (16.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Immokalee in grains per gallon?
About 16.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 288 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 16.8.
What size water softener do I need in Immokalee?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 16.8 gpg works out to about 3,789 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.
Has the Immokalee water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Immokalee Water since 2016. There were also 13 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Lehigh Acres262 mg/LVery hard
- Bonita Springs69 mg/LModerately hard
- Estero262 mg/LVery hard
- Golden Gate60 mg/LSoft
- Pelican Bay60 mg/LSoft
- Lely Resort60 mg/LSoft
- Fort Myers47 mg/LSoft
- Naples Manor60 mg/LSoft
- Naples60 mg/LSoft
- Tice43 mg/LSoft
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.