Hard water in Nixa, 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
Tap water in Nixa has about 231 mg/L of hardness, which is 13.5 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as very hard. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (December 2020).
Nixa sits 110 mg/L above the typical Missouri figure of 121. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 9 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 120 mg/L in Springfield to 296 in Marshfield.
What 231 mg/L means at home
Scale forms fast here. Kettles and coffee makers need regular descaling, and showerheads clog unless you clean them.
Tank water heaters collect mineral sediment that insulates the water from the burner, so flushing the tank matters more than usual.
Dishes and glass shower doors spot easily. Soap scum and a dull film on hair or laundry are common complaints.
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 231 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 × 13.5 gpg = 3,044 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 7 days.
EPA record for Nixa's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 24,532 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 1
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Nixa.
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 Nixa water hard?
Yes. It measures about 231 mg/L (13.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Nixa in grains per gallon?
About 13.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 231 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 13.5.
What size water softener do I need in Nixa?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 13.5 gpg works out to about 3,044 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 7 days.
Has the Nixa water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Nixa PWS since 2016. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Ozark178 mg/LHard
- Battlefield190 mg/LVery hard
- Springfield120 mg/LModerately hard
- Republic155 mg/LHard
- Willard153 mg/LHard
- Aurora208 mg/LVery hard
- Marshfield296 mg/LVery hard
- Branson198 mg/LVery hard
- Monett180 mg/LVery hard
- Lebanon210 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, December 23, 2020), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.