Hard water in Richmond, MO
Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · October 2025
- 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 Richmond carries roughly 190 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 11.1 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (October 2025).
Richmond sits 69 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 97 mg/L in Lee's Summit to 310 in Blue Springs.
What 190 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 190 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 × 11.1 gpg = 2,495 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 9 days.
EPA record for Richmond's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 9,360 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Richmond.
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 Richmond water hard?
Yes. It measures about 190 mg/L (11.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Richmond in grains per gallon?
About 11.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 190 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 11.1.
What size water softener do I need in Richmond?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 11.1 gpg works out to about 2,495 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 9 days.
Has the Richmond water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Ray County Cons PWSD 2 since 2016.
Nearby cities
- Excelsior Springs154 mg/LHard
- Oak Grove176 mg/LHard
- Kearney135 mg/LHard
- Liberty162 mg/LHard
- Blue Springs310 mg/LVery hard
- Independence118 mg/LModerately hard
- Gladstone117 mg/LModerately hard
- Raytown116 mg/LModerately hard
- Kansas City116 mg/LModerately hard
- Lee's Summit97 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, October 20, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.