How hard is the water in Emporia, KS?

Tap water hardness
76mg/L
4.5gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Emporia, City of · May 2022

KS typical
138 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
6
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Emporia carries roughly 76 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 4.5 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Emporia, City of, dated May 2022.

Emporia on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+KS typical 138Manhattan: 103 mg/LManhattan 103El Dorado: 117 mg/LEl Dorado 117Augusta: 120 mg/LAugusta 120Paola: 133 mg/LPaola 133Fort Riley: 140 mg/LFort Riley 140Lawrence: 142 mg/LLawrence 142Ottawa: 144 mg/LOttawa 144Topeka: 145 mg/LTopeka 145Junction City: 168 mg/LJunction City 168Newton: 260 mg/LNewton 260Emporia 76mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+KS 138Manhattan: 103 mg/LManhattan 103El Dorado: 117 mg/LEl Dorado 117Fort Riley: 140 mg/LFort Riley 140Ottawa: 144 mg/LOttawa 144Topeka: 145 mg/LTopeka 145Junction City: 168 mg/LJunction C. 16876 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 76 mg/L, Emporia is 62 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 103 mg/L in Manhattan to 260 in Newton.

What 76 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 Emporia

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.5 gpg = 1,001 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 23 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Emporia's water system

Emporia, City of · PWSID KS2011105

6 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 24,009 people from surface water.

Health-based
6
Monitoring or reporting
4
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment RuleBromate'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment RuleBromate
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection52018–2024Resolved
Bromate12017Resolved

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 Emporia water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 76 mg/L (4.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 76 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.5.

What size water softener do I need in Emporia?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.5 gpg works out to about 1,001 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 23 days.

Has the Emporia water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 6 health-based violations for Emporia, City of since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule, Bromate. There were also 4 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, May 25, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.