How hard is the water in Dalton, GA?

Tap water hardness
70mg/L
4.1gpg
Moderately hardCounty estimate

County estimate from 660 water samples in Whitfield County · July 2026

GA typical
28 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Dalton put hardness at about 70 mg/L (4.1 gpg), which would be moderately hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 660 samples taken across Whitfield County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Dalton's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Dalton's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Dalton on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+GA typical 28Milton: 20 mg/LMilton 20Cumming: 20 mg/LCumming 20Canton: 23 mg/LCanton 23Woodstock: 26 mg/LWoodstock 26Cartersville: 31 mg/LCartersville 31Acworth: 40 mg/LAcworth 40Kennesaw: 40 mg/LKennesaw 40Marietta: 40 mg/LMarietta 40Calhoun: 59 mg/LCalhoun 59Rome: 104 mg/LRome 104Dalton 70mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+GA 28Canton: 23 mg/LCanton 23Woodstock: 26 mg/LWoodstock 26Cartersville: 31 mg/LCartersvil. 31Acworth: 40 mg/LAcworth 40Calhoun: 59 mg/LCalhoun 59Rome: 104 mg/LRome 10470 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Dalton sits 42 mg/L above the typical Georgia figure of 28. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 9 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 20 mg/L in Milton to 104 in Rome.

What 70 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 Dalton

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.1 gpg = 920 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 26 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Dalton's water system

Dalton Utilities · PWSID GA3130000

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 99,315 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Dalton.

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 Dalton water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 70 mg/L (4.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 70 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.1.

What size water softener do I need in Dalton?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.1 gpg works out to about 920 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 26 days.

Has the Dalton water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Dalton Utilities since 2016. There were also 2 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 85 cities in Georgia

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.