Hard water in Lincoln, IL
Reported by Cropsey Mutual Water Association · June 2022
- IL typical
- 139 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 2
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Lincoln carries roughly 222 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 13.0 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from Cropsey Mutual Water Association, dated June 2022.
Lincoln sits 83 mg/L above the typical Illinois figure of 139. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 4 have softer water and 6 have harder. The range nearby runs from 89 mg/L in Bloomington to 361 in Pekin.
What 222 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 222 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 × 13.0 gpg = 2,920 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.
EPA record for Lincoln's water system
2 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 65 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 2
- Monitoring or reporting
- 59
- Open now
- 4
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling | 2 | 2019–2020 | 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 Lincoln water hard?
Yes. It measures about 222 mg/L (13.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Lincoln in grains per gallon?
About 13.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 222 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 13.0.
What size water softener do I need in Lincoln?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 13.0 gpg works out to about 2,920 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.
Has the Lincoln water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Cropsey Mutual Water Association since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 59 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Springfield120 mg/LModerately hard
- Decatur261 mg/LVery hard
- Bloomington89 mg/LModerately hard
- Pekin361 mg/LVery hard
- Normal327 mg/LVery hard
- Morton170 mg/LHard
- Mount Zion103 mg/LModerately hard
- Bartonville283 mg/LVery hard
- East Peoria361 mg/LVery hard
- Washington230 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 12, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.