Hard water in Kearney, MO
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 Kearney carries roughly 135 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 7.9 grains per gallon. That is hard water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (December 2020).
Kearney sits 14 mg/L above the typical Missouri figure of 121. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 106 mg/L in Smithville to 310 in Blue Springs.
What 135 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 135 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 × 7.9 gpg = 1,780 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 13 days.
EPA record for Kearney's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 11,500 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Kearney.
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 Kearney water hard?
Yes. It measures about 135 mg/L (7.9 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in Kearney in grains per gallon?
About 7.9 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 135 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 7.9.
What size water softener do I need in Kearney?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 7.9 gpg works out to about 1,780 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 13 days.
Has the Kearney water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Kearney PWS since 2016.
Nearby cities
- Excelsior Springs154 mg/LHard
- Liberty162 mg/LHard
- Smithville106 mg/LModerately hard
- Gladstone117 mg/LModerately hard
- North Kansas City116 mg/LModerately hard
- Independence118 mg/LModerately hard
- Kansas City116 mg/LModerately hard
- Parkville172 mg/LHard
- Richmond190 mg/LVery hard
- Blue Springs310 mg/LVery hard
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.