How hard is the water in Moorhead, MN?

Tap water hardness
79mg/L
4.6gpg
Moderately hard

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · December 2020

MN typical
160 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Calculated from utility data

Moorhead water measures 79 mg/L (4.6 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (December 2020).

Moorhead on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MN typical 160Elk River: 170 mg/LElk River 170Andover: 200 mg/LAndover 200Brainerd: 215 mg/LBrainerd 215Champlin: 234 mg/LChamplin 234Willmar: 238 mg/LWillmar 238St. Cloud: 240 mg/LSt. Cloud 240St. Michael: 260 mg/LSt. Michael 260Minnetrista: 319 mg/LMinnetrista 319Sartell: 352 mg/LSartell 352Waconia: 378 mg/LWaconia 378Moorhead 79mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MN 160Elk River: 170 mg/LElk River 170Brainerd: 215 mg/LBrainerd 215Willmar: 238 mg/LWillmar 238St. Cloud: 240 mg/LSt. Cloud 240St. Michael: 260 mg/LSt. Michael 260Sartell: 352 mg/LSartell 35279 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 79 mg/L, Moorhead is 81 mg/L below the typical Minnesota figure of 160. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 170 mg/L in Elk River to 378 in Waconia.

What 79 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 Moorhead

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.6 gpg = 1,035 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 23 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Moorhead's water system

Moorhead · PWSID MN1140008

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 44,583 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Moorhead.

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 Moorhead water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 79 mg/L (4.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 79 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.6.

What size water softener do I need in Moorhead?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.6 gpg works out to about 1,035 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 23 days.

Has the Moorhead water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Moorhead since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 57 cities in Minnesota

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, December 22, 2020), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.