Alexandria, LA water hardness

Tap water hardness
26mg/L
1.5gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 951 water samples in Rapides Parish · July 2026

LA typical
102 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Alexandria put hardness at about 26 mg/L (1.5 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 951 samples taken across Rapides Parish, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Alexandria's treated tap water.

Alexandria on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+LA typical 102Ruston: 20 mg/LRuston 20Monroe: 54 mg/LMonroe 54Zachary: 55 mg/LZachary 55Carencro: 99 mg/LCarencro 99Scott: 99 mg/LScott 99Lafayette: 102 mg/LLafayette 102Lake Charles: 120 mg/LLake Charles 120Youngsville: 147 mg/LYoungsville 147Broussard: 159 mg/LBroussard 159Sulphur: 211 mg/LSulphur 211Alexandria 26mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+LA 102Ruston: 20 mg/LRuston 20Carencro: 99 mg/LCarencro 99Scott: 99 mg/LScott 99Lafayette: 102 mg/LLafayette 102Youngsville: 147 mg/LYoungsville 147Broussard: 159 mg/LBroussard 15926 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Alexandria sits 76 mg/L below the typical Louisiana figure of 102. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 20 mg/L in Ruston to 211 in Sulphur.

What 26 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 26 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Alexandria's water system

City of Alexandria Water System · PWSID LA1079001

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 66,798 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Alexandria.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12018Resolved

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 Alexandria water hard?

No. It measures about 26 mg/L (1.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 26 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.5.

Has the Alexandria water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for City of Alexandria Water System since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule.

Nearby cities

All 32 cities in Louisiana

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.