Monroe, NC water hardness

Tap water hardness
32mg/L
1.8gpg
Soft

Reported by Union County Water System · September 2025

NC typical
31 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Data
Utility report

The water in Monroe carries roughly 32 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 1.8 grains per gallon. That is soft water. The number comes from Union County Water System, dated September 2025.

Monroe on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NC typical 31Unionville: 30 mg/LUnionville 30Indian Trail: 30 mg/LIndian Trail 30Wesley Chapel: 30 mg/LWesley Chapel 30Stallings: 30 mg/LStallings 30Weddington: 30 mg/LWeddington 30Waxhaw: 30 mg/LWaxhaw 30Marvin: 30 mg/LMarvin 30Matthews: 31 mg/LMatthews 31Mint Hill: 31 mg/LMint Hill 31Midland: 34 mg/LMidland 34Monroe 32mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NC 31Unionville: 30 mg/LUnionville 30Indian Trail: 30 mg/LIndian Tra. 30Wesley Chapel: 30 mg/LWesley Cha. 30Stallings: 30 mg/LStallings 30Weddington: 30 mg/LWeddington 30Waxhaw: 30 mg/LWaxhaw 3032 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 32 mg/L, Monroe is close to the typical North Carolina figure of 31 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 9 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 30 mg/L in Unionville to 34 in Midland.

What 32 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 32 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 Monroe's water system

Union County Water System · PWSID NC0190413

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 169,685 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform RuleHaloacetic acids (HAA5)'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform RuleHaloacetic acids (HAA5)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12020Resolved
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)a disinfection byproduct12017Resolved

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 Monroe water hard?

No. It measures about 32 mg/L (1.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 32 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.8.

Has the Monroe water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Union County Water System since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule, Haloacetic acids (HAA5). There were also 2 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, September 23, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.