Hard water in New Baltimore, MI
Reported by Chesterfield Township · October 2023
- MI typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
Tap water in New Baltimore has about 136 mg/L of hardness, which is 8.0 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as hard. The number comes from Chesterfield Township, dated October 2023. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 101 to 136 mg/L.
New Baltimore sits 24 mg/L above the typical Michigan figure of 112. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 8 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 95 mg/L in Harper Woods to 266 in Eastpointe.
What 136 mg/L means at home
Expect white crust on faucets and showerheads, plus spots on dishes that come out of the dishwasher.
Kettles collect scale quickly. Water heaters build up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which makes them work harder over time.
Soap and detergent need a little more to lather, and soap scum shows up in the tub.
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
At 136 mg/L most of the trouble is scale, and only a few things deal with it.
Ion-exchange water softener
The standard whole-house fix. It swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and needs salt plus a drain. Size it with the calculator below.
Salt-free conditioner
No salt and no drain line. It changes how minerals form scale instead of removing them, so water still tests hard.
Reverse osmosis or carbon filter
Under-sink reverse osmosis removes minerals from drinking water only. Plain carbon filters improve taste but do not soften.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 8.0 gpg = 1,796 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 13 days.
EPA record for New Baltimore's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 12,720 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists New Baltimore, City of as the system serving New Baltimore. The hardness figure above comes from a different system's report, which TapWaterData uses for New Baltimore.
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total organic carbon removaltreatment requirement | 1 | 2024 | Resolved |
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 New Baltimore water hard?
Yes. It measures about 136 mg/L (8.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in New Baltimore in grains per gallon?
About 8.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 136 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 8.0.
What size water softener do I need in New Baltimore?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 8.0 gpg works out to about 1,796 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 13 days.
Has the New Baltimore water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for New Baltimore, City of since 2016, involving Total organic carbon removal.
Nearby cities
- New Haven165 mg/LHard
- Mount Clemens103 mg/LModerately hard
- Fraser101 mg/LModerately hard
- Utica103 mg/LModerately hard
- St. Clair Shores101 mg/LModerately hard
- Roseville101 mg/LModerately hard
- Sterling Heights103 mg/LModerately hard
- Eastpointe266 mg/LVery hard
- Rochester104 mg/LModerately hard
- Harper Woods95 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, October 25, 2023), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.