Gallup, NM water hardness

Tap water hardness
17mg/L
1.0gpg
Soft

Reported by Gallup Water System · September 2023

NM typical
137 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
8
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Gallup has about 17 mg/L of hardness, which is 1.0 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Gallup Water System, dated September 2023.

Gallup on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NM typical 137Santa Fe: 70 mg/LSanta Fe 70Rio Rancho: 107 mg/LRio Rancho 107Los Ranchos de Albuquerque: 137 mg/LLos Ranchos de Albuquerque 137South Valley: 137 mg/LSouth Valley 137Albuquerque: 137 mg/LAlbuquerque 137North Valley: 137 mg/LNorth Valley 137Las Vegas: 140 mg/LLas Vegas 140Ruidoso: 169 mg/LRuidoso 169Farmington: 256 mg/LFarmington 256Alamogordo: 383 mg/LAlamogordo 383Gallup 17mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NM 137Rio Rancho: 107 mg/LRio Rancho 107Los Ranchos de Albuquerque: 137 mg/LLos Rancho. 137South Valley: 137 mg/LSouth Vall. 137Albuquerque: 137 mg/LAlbuquerque 137North Valley: 137 mg/LNorth Vall. 137Farmington: 256 mg/LFarmington 25617 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 17 mg/L, Gallup is 120 mg/L below the typical New Mexico figure of 137. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 70 mg/L in Santa Fe to 383 in Alamogordo.

What 17 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 17 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Gallup's water system

Gallup Water System · PWSID NM3508317

8 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 20,880 people from groundwater.

Health-based
8
Monitoring or reporting
11
Open now
1
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Groundwater Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Groundwater Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Groundwater Ruletreatment of well water82026Resolved

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 Gallup water hard?

No. It measures about 17 mg/L (1.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 17 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.0.

Has the Gallup water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 8 health-based violations for Gallup Water System since 2016, involving Groundwater Rule. There were also 11 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 13 cities in New Mexico

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 14, 2023), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.