How hard is the water in El Dorado, KS?

Tap water hardness
117mg/L
6.8gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by El Dorado, City of · June 2022

KS typical
138 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
4
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in El Dorado carries roughly 117 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 6.8 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from El Dorado, City of, dated June 2022.

El Dorado on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+KS typical 138Augusta: 120 mg/LAugusta 120Mulvane: 128 mg/LMulvane 128Valley Center: 133 mg/LValley Center 133Derby: 133 mg/LDerby 133Winfield: 136 mg/LWinfield 136Park City: 138 mg/LPark City 138Wichita: 138 mg/LWichita 138Haysville: 225 mg/LHaysville 225Newton: 260 mg/LNewton 260Goddard: 268 mg/LGoddard 268El Dorado 117mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+KS 138Augusta: 120 mg/LAugusta 120Valley Center: 133 mg/LValley Cen. 133Derby: 133 mg/LDerby 133Park City: 138 mg/LPark City 138Wichita: 138 mg/LWichita 138Newton: 260 mg/LNewton 260117 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

At 117 mg/L, El Dorado is 21 mg/L below the typical Kansas figure of 138. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 120 mg/L in Augusta to 268 in Goddard.

What 117 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 El Dorado

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.8 gpg = 1,539 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 15 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for El Dorado's water system

El Dorado, City of · PWSID KS2001511

4 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 12,810 people from surface water.

Health-based
4
Monitoring or reporting
7
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total organic carbon removal'16'18'20'22'24'26Total organic carbon removal
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total organic carbon removaltreatment requirement42019–2020Resolved

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 El Dorado water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 117 mg/L (6.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in El Dorado in grains per gallon?

About 6.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 117 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.8.

What size water softener do I need in El Dorado?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.8 gpg works out to about 1,539 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 15 days.

Has the El Dorado water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 4 health-based violations for El Dorado, City of since 2016, involving Total organic carbon removal. There were also 7 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 48 cities in Kansas

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 13, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.