How hard is the water in Hopkinsville, KY?

Tap water hardness
86mg/L
5.0gpg
Moderately hardCounty estimate

County estimate from 132 water samples in Christian County · July 2026

KY typical
134 mg/L
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Hopkinsville put hardness at about 86 mg/L (5.0 gpg), which would be moderately hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 132 samples taken across Christian County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Hopkinsville's treated tap water.

Hopkinsville on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+KY typical 134Paducah: 63 mg/LPaducah 63Owensboro: 116 mg/LOwensboro 116Louisville: 134 mg/LLouisville 134St. Matthews: 134 mg/LSt. Matthews 134Bowling Green: 135 mg/LBowling Green 135Nicholasville: 160 mg/LNicholasville 160Elizabethtown: 186 mg/LElizabethtown 186Radcliff: 186 mg/LRadcliff 186Henderson: 198 mg/LHenderson 198Frankfort: 199 mg/LFrankfort 199Hopkinsville 86mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+KY 134Paducah: 63 mg/LPaducah 63Owensboro: 116 mg/LOwensboro 116Bowling Green: 135 mg/LBowling Gr. 135Elizabethtown: 186 mg/LElizabetht. 186Radcliff: 186 mg/LRadcliff 186Henderson: 198 mg/LHenderson 19886 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Hopkinsville sits 48 mg/L below the typical Kentucky figure of 134. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 63 mg/L in Paducah to 199 in Frankfort.

What 86 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 Hopkinsville

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.0 gpg = 1,127 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 21 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Hopkinsville's water system

We could not match Hopkinsville to a community water system in EPA's records. Your water bill or the yearly Consumer Confidence Report names the system and its ID.

Questions

Is Hopkinsville water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 86 mg/L (5.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 86 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.0.

What size water softener do I need in Hopkinsville?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.0 gpg works out to about 1,127 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 21 days.

Nearby cities

All 37 cities in Kentucky

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.