How hard is the water in Bellwood, IL?
Reported by Leyden TWSP Water District · May 2025
- IL typical
- 139 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Bellwood carries roughly 104 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 6.1 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Leyden TWSP Water District, dated May 2025.
At 104 mg/L, Bellwood is 35 mg/L below the typical Illinois figure of 139. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 103 mg/L in Melrose Park to 229 in Maywood.
What 104 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.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.1 gpg = 1,368 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 17 days.
EPA record for Bellwood's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 19,156 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 4
- Open now
- 3
EPA lists Bellwood as the system serving Bellwood. The hardness figure above comes from a different system's report, which TapWaterData uses for Bellwood.
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling | 1 | 2024 | 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 Bellwood water hard?
Somewhat. It measures about 104 mg/L (6.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.
What is the water hardness in Bellwood in grains per gallon?
About 6.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 104 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.1.
What size water softener do I need in Bellwood?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.1 gpg works out to about 1,368 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 17 days.
Has the Bellwood water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Bellwood since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 4 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Melrose Park103 mg/LModerately hard
- Maywood229 mg/LVery hard
- Berkeley104 mg/LModerately hard
- Northlake104 mg/LModerately hard
- River Forest135 mg/LHard
- River Grove104 mg/LModerately hard
- Elmhurst110 mg/LModerately hard
- La Grange Park129 mg/LHard
- Franklin Park104 mg/LModerately hard
- Elmwood Park229 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, May 13, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.