Columbus, MS water hardness

Tap water hardness
51mg/L
3.0gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 62 water samples in Lowndes County · July 2026

MS typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Columbus put hardness at about 51 mg/L (3.0 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 62 samples taken across Lowndes County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Columbus's treated tap water.

Columbus on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MS typical 38Bay St. Louis: 4 mg/LBay St. Louis 4Meridian: 15 mg/LMeridian 15Jackson: 38 mg/LJackson 38Clinton: 38 mg/LClinton 38Byram: 38 mg/LByram 38Oxford: 77 mg/LOxford 77Columbus 51mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MS 38Bay St. Louis: 4 mg/LBay St. Lo. 4Meridian: 15 mg/LMeridian 15Jackson: 38 mg/LJackson 38Clinton: 38 mg/LClinton 38Byram: 38 mg/LByram 38Oxford: 77 mg/LOxford 7751 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Columbus sits 13 mg/L above the typical Mississippi figure of 38. Of the 6 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 4 mg/L in Bay St. Louis to 77 in Oxford.

What 51 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 51 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Columbus's water system

Columbus Light & Water · PWSID MS0440003

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 23,616 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Columbus.

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 Columbus water hard?

No. It measures about 51 mg/L (3.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 3.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 51 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.0.

Has the Columbus water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Columbus Light & Water since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 7 cities in Mississippi

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.