How hard is the water in Hamtramck, MI?

Tap water hardness
87mg/L
5.1gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Hamtramck · January 2024

MI typical
112 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Hamtramck carries roughly 87 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 5.1 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Hamtramck, dated January 2024.

Hamtramck on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MI typical 112Warren: 95 mg/LWarren 95Grosse Pointe Park: 95 mg/LGrosse Pointe Park 95Harper Woods: 95 mg/LHarper Woods 95Grosse Pointe: 95 mg/LGrosse Pointe 95Detroit: 96 mg/LDetroit 96Ferndale: 100 mg/LFerndale 100Grosse Pointe Farms: 110 mg/LGrosse Pointe Farms 110Eastpointe: 266 mg/LEastpointe 266Oak Park: 277 mg/LOak Park 277Madison Heights: 277 mg/LMadison Heights 277Hamtramck 87mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MI 112Warren: 95 mg/LWarren 95Grosse Pointe Park: 95 mg/LGrosse Poi. 95Harper Woods: 95 mg/LHarper Woo. 95Detroit: 96 mg/LDetroit 96Ferndale: 100 mg/LFerndale 100Eastpointe: 266 mg/LEastpointe 26687 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Hamtramck sits 25 mg/L below the typical Michigan figure of 112. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 95 mg/L in Warren to 277 in Oak Park.

What 87 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 Hamtramck

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.1 gpg = 1,143 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 20 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Hamtramck's water system

Hamtramck · PWSID MI0002970

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 28,433 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
6
Open now
3
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Lead and Copper Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Lead and Copper Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling22019–2022Resolved

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 Hamtramck water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 87 mg/L (5.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 87 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.1.

What size water softener do I need in Hamtramck?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.1 gpg works out to about 1,143 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 20 days.

Has the Hamtramck water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Hamtramck since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 6 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 118 cities in Michigan

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, January 30, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.