How hard is the water in Marquette, MI?

Tap water hardness
110mg/L
6.4gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Marquette Township · February 2024

MI typical
112 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Marquette water measures 110 mg/L (6.4 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Marquette Township, dated February 2024.

Marquette on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MI typical 112Sault Ste. Marie: 53 mg/LSault Ste. Marie 53Ludington: 112 mg/LLudington 112Escanaba: 131 mg/LEscanaba 131Muskegon: 141 mg/LMuskegon 141Cadillac: 147 mg/LCadillac 147Traverse City: 163 mg/LTraverse City 163Big Rapids: 172 mg/LBig Rapids 172Alpena: 273 mg/LAlpena 273Iron Mountain: 274 mg/LIron Mountain 274Petoskey: 274 mg/LPetoskey 274Marquette 110mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MI 112Sault Ste. Marie: 53 mg/LSault Ste.. 53Ludington: 112 mg/LLudington 112Escanaba: 131 mg/LEscanaba 131Traverse City: 163 mg/LTraverse C. 163Iron Mountain: 274 mg/LIron Mount. 274Petoskey: 274 mg/LPetoskey 274110 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 110 mg/L, Marquette is close to the typical Michigan figure of 112 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 53 mg/L in Sault Ste. Marie to 274 in Iron Mountain.

What 110 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 Marquette

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.4 gpg = 1,447 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 16 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Marquette's water system

Marquette Township · PWSID MI0004140

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 2,700 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
2
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 sampling120241 open

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 Marquette water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 110 mg/L (6.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 110 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.4.

What size water softener do I need in Marquette?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.4 gpg works out to about 1,447 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 16 days.

Has the Marquette water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Marquette Township since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 2 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, February 14, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.