How hard is the water in Chillicothe, MO?

Tap water hardness
108mg/L
6.3gpg
Moderately hard

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

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

The water in Chillicothe carries roughly 108 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 6.3 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (December 2020).

Chillicothe on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MO typical 121Macon: 73 mg/LMacon 73Smithville: 106 mg/LSmithville 106Kirksville: 133 mg/LKirksville 133Kearney: 135 mg/LKearney 135Cameron: 143 mg/LCameron 143Marshall: 143 mg/LMarshall 143Excelsior Springs: 154 mg/LExcelsior Springs 154Liberty: 162 mg/LLiberty 162Oak Grove: 176 mg/LOak Grove 176Richmond: 190 mg/LRichmond 190Chillicothe 108mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MO 121Macon: 73 mg/LMacon 73Kearney: 135 mg/LKearney 135Cameron: 143 mg/LCameron 143Marshall: 143 mg/LMarshall 143Excelsior Springs: 154 mg/LExcelsior. 154Richmond: 190 mg/LRichmond 190108 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 108 mg/L, Chillicothe is 13 mg/L below the typical Missouri figure of 121. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 8 have harder. The range nearby runs from 73 mg/L in Macon to 190 in Richmond.

What 108 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 Chillicothe

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.3 gpg = 1,429 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 16 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Chillicothe's water system

Chillicothe Municipal Utilities PWS · PWSID MO2010162

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 10,187 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Chillicothe.

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 Chillicothe water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 108 mg/L (6.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 108 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.3.

What size water softener do I need in Chillicothe?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.3 gpg works out to about 1,429 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 16 days.

Has the Chillicothe water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Chillicothe Municipal Utilities PWS since 2016. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 90 cities in Missouri

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, December 21, 2020), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.