Ruston, LA water hardness

Tap water hardness
20mg/L
1.2gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 154 water samples in Lincoln Parish · July 2026

LA typical
102 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Ruston put hardness at about 20 mg/L (1.2 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 154 samples taken across Lincoln Parish, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Ruston's treated tap water.

Ruston on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+LA typical 102Alexandria: 26 mg/LAlexandria 26Shreveport: 47 mg/LShreveport 47Bossier City: 48 mg/LBossier City 48Monroe: 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 120Sulphur: 211 mg/LSulphur 211Ruston 20mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+LA 102Alexandria: 26 mg/LAlexandria 26Shreveport: 47 mg/LShreveport 47Bossier City: 48 mg/LBossier Ci. 48Monroe: 54 mg/LMonroe 54Zachary: 55 mg/LZachary 55Carencro: 99 mg/LCarencro 9920 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 20 mg/L, Ruston is 82 mg/L below the typical Louisiana figure of 102. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 26 mg/L in Alexandria to 211 in Sulphur.

What 20 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 20 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 Ruston's water system

City of Ruston Water System · PWSID LA1061017

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 22,468 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
1

EPA lists this system as serving Ruston.

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 Ruston water hard?

No. It measures about 20 mg/L (1.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 20 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.2.

Has the Ruston water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for City of Ruston Water System since 2016. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

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.