How hard is the water in Macon, MO?

Tap water hardness
73mg/L
4.3gpg
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

Macon water measures 73 mg/L (4.3 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (December 2020).

Macon on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MO typical 121Chillicothe: 108 mg/LChillicothe 108Kirksville: 133 mg/LKirksville 133Moberly: 135 mg/LMoberly 135Marshall: 143 mg/LMarshall 143Columbia: 190 mg/LColumbia 190Richmond: 190 mg/LRichmond 190Hannibal: 209 mg/LHannibal 209Jefferson City: 218 mg/LJefferson City 218Sedalia: 241 mg/LSedalia 241Fulton: 289 mg/LFulton 289Macon 73mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MO 121Chillicothe: 108 mg/LChillicothe 108Kirksville: 133 mg/LKirksville 133Moberly: 135 mg/LMoberly 135Marshall: 143 mg/LMarshall 143Columbia: 190 mg/LColumbia 190Hannibal: 209 mg/LHannibal 20973 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 73 mg/L, Macon is 48 mg/L below the typical Missouri figure of 121. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 108 mg/L in Chillicothe to 289 in Fulton.

What 73 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 Macon

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.3 gpg = 965 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 24 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Macon's water system

Macon CO PWSD 1 · PWSID MO2024363

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 12,865 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Macon.

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 Macon water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 73 mg/L (4.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 73 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.3.

What size water softener do I need in Macon?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.3 gpg works out to about 965 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 24 days.

Has the Macon water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Macon CO PWSD 1 since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 90 cities in Missouri

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, December 28, 2020), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.