Hard water in Dickinson, ND
County estimate from 202 water samples in Stark County · July 2026
- ND typical
- 133 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- County estimate
Water samples from around Dickinson put hardness at about 320 mg/L (18.7 gpg), which would be very hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 202 samples taken across Stark County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Dickinson's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Dickinson's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.
Dickinson sits 187 mg/L above the typical North Dakota figure of 133. Of the 5 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 3 have harder. The range nearby runs from 79 mg/L in Fargo to 392 in West Fargo.
What 320 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 320 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 × 18.7 gpg = 4,210 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 7 days.
EPA record for Dickinson's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 25,679 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Dickinson.
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 Dickinson water hard?
Yes. It measures about 320 mg/L (18.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Dickinson in grains per gallon?
About 18.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 320 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 18.7.
What size water softener do I need in Dickinson?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 18.7 gpg works out to about 4,210 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 7 days.
Has the Dickinson water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Dickinson City of since 2016.
Nearby cities
- Mandan337 mg/LVery hard
- Bismarck133 mg/LHard
- Grand Forks390 mg/LVery hard
- West Fargo392 mg/LVery hard
- Fargo79 mg/LModerately hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.