Hard water in Atchison, KS
Reported by Atchison, City of · June 2022
- KS typical
- 138 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- Utility report
Atchison water measures 294 mg/L (17.2 gpg) of hardness, very hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Atchison, City of, dated June 2022.
Atchison sits 156 mg/L above the typical Kansas figure of 138. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 8 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 128 mg/L in Leavenworth to 416 in Bonner Springs.
What 294 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 294 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 × 17.2 gpg = 3,870 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.
EPA record for Atchison's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 10,694 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 7
- Open now
- 1
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection | 1 | 2019 | 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 Atchison water hard?
Yes. It measures about 294 mg/L (17.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Atchison in grains per gallon?
About 17.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 294 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 17.2.
What size water softener do I need in Atchison?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 17.2 gpg works out to about 3,870 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.
Has the Atchison water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Atchison, City of since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule. There were also 7 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Leavenworth128 mg/LHard
- Tonganoxie215 mg/LVery hard
- Bonner Springs416 mg/LVery hard
- Kansas City303 mg/LVery hard
- Shawnee135 mg/LHard
- Lawrence142 mg/LHard
- De Soto135 mg/LHard
- Merriam135 mg/LHard
- Lenexa135 mg/LHard
- Mission135 mg/LHard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 14, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.