Jacksonville, NC water hardness

Tap water hardness
52mg/L
3.0gpg
Soft

Reported by Onslow WTR and Sewer Authority · December 2024

NC typical
31 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
Utility report

The water in Jacksonville carries roughly 52 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.0 grains per gallon. That is soft water. The number comes from Onslow WTR and Sewer Authority, dated December 2024.

Jacksonville on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NC typical 31Wilmington: 21 mg/LWilmington 21Havelock: 24 mg/LHavelock 24Hampstead: 27 mg/LHampstead 27New Bern: 29 mg/LNew Bern 29Leland: 49 mg/LLeland 49Piney Green: 52 mg/LPiney Green 52Half Moon: 52 mg/LHalf Moon 52Holly Ridge: 52 mg/LHolly Ridge 52Goldsboro: 75 mg/LGoldsboro 75Carolina Beach: 180 mg/LCarolina Beach 180Jacksonville 52mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NC 31Havelock: 24 mg/LHavelock 24Hampstead: 27 mg/LHampstead 27New Bern: 29 mg/LNew Bern 29Piney Green: 52 mg/LPiney Green 52Half Moon: 52 mg/LHalf Moon 52Holly Ridge: 52 mg/LHolly Ridge 5252 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Jacksonville sits 21 mg/L above the typical North Carolina figure of 31. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 21 mg/L in Wilmington to 180 in Carolina Beach.

What 52 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 52 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 Jacksonville's water system

Onslow WTR and Sewer Authority · PWSID NC0467035

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 156,755 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
6
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Lead and Copper Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Lead and Copper Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling12024Resolved

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 Jacksonville water hard?

No. It measures about 52 mg/L (3.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 3.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 52 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.0.

Has the Jacksonville water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Onslow WTR and Sewer Authority since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 6 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 101 cities in North Carolina

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, December 23, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.