How hard is the water in Swartz Creek, MI?

Tap water hardness
98mg/L
5.7gpg
Moderately hardReports range 98–140

Reported by Swartz Creek, City of · June 2022

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

The water in Swartz Creek carries roughly 98 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 5.7 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Swartz Creek, City of, dated June 2022. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 98 to 140 mg/L.

Swartz Creek on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MI typical 112Flushing: 113 mg/LFlushing 113Howell: 117 mg/LHowell 117Flint: 137 mg/LFlint 137Beecher: 144 mg/LBeecher 144Burton: 150 mg/LBurton 150Grand Blanc: 157 mg/LGrand Blanc 157Davison: 181 mg/LDavison 181Fenton: 315 mg/LFenton 315Holly: 323 mg/LHolly 323Owosso: 339 mg/LOwosso 339Swartz Creek 98mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MI 112Flushing: 113 mg/LFlushing 113Flint: 137 mg/LFlint 137Beecher: 144 mg/LBeecher 144Burton: 150 mg/LBurton 150Grand Blanc: 157 mg/LGrand Blanc 157Fenton: 315 mg/LFenton 31598 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Swartz Creek sits 14 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 113 mg/L in Flushing to 339 in Owosso.

What 98 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 Swartz Creek

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.7 gpg = 1,285 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 18 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Swartz Creek's water system

Swartz Creek, City of · PWSID MI0006505

3 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 5,800 people from surface water.

Health-based
3
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0
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 sampling32020–2021Resolved

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 Swartz Creek water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 98 mg/L (5.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Swartz Creek in grains per gallon?

About 5.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 98 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.7.

What size water softener do I need in Swartz Creek?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.7 gpg works out to about 1,285 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 18 days.

Has the Swartz Creek water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 3 health-based violations for Swartz Creek, City of since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 3 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, June 30, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.