Hard water in Parsons, KS
Reported by Parsons, City of · June 2022
- KS typical
- 138 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 5
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
Tap water in Parsons has about 129 mg/L of hardness, which is 7.5 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as hard. The number comes from Parsons, City of, dated June 2022.
At 129 mg/L, Parsons is close to the typical Kansas figure of 138 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 76 mg/L in Emporia to 206 in Arkansas City.
What 129 mg/L means at home
Expect white crust on faucets and showerheads, plus spots on dishes that come out of the dishwasher.
Kettles collect scale quickly. Water heaters build up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which makes them work harder over time.
Soap and detergent need a little more to lather, and soap scum shows up in the tub.
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 129 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 × 7.5 gpg = 1,696 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 14 days.
EPA record for Parsons's water system
5 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 9,479 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 5
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5)a disinfection byproduct | 5 | 2023–2024 | 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 Parsons water hard?
Yes. It measures about 129 mg/L (7.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in Parsons in grains per gallon?
About 7.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 129 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 7.5.
What size water softener do I need in Parsons?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 7.5 gpg works out to about 1,696 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 14 days.
Has the Parsons water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 5 health-based violations for Parsons, City of since 2016, involving Haloacetic acids (HAA5).
Nearby cities
- Coffeyville180 mg/LHard
- Pittsburg131 mg/LHard
- Ottawa144 mg/LHard
- Paola133 mg/LHard
- Emporia76 mg/LModerately hard
- El Dorado117 mg/LModerately hard
- Winfield136 mg/LHard
- Louisburg133 mg/LHard
- Augusta120 mg/LModerately hard
- Arkansas City206 mg/LVery hard
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.