How hard is the water in Fargo, ND?

Tap water hardness
79mg/L
4.6gpg
Moderately hard

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · December 2020

ND typical
133 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Calculated from utility data

The water in Fargo carries roughly 79 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 4.6 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (December 2020).

Fargo on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+ND typical 133Bismarck: 133 mg/LBismarck 133Dickinson: 320 mg/LDickinson 320Mandan: 337 mg/LMandan 337West Fargo: 392 mg/LWest Fargo 392Grand Forks: 390 mg/LGrand Forks 390Fargo 79mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+ND 133Bismarck: 133 mg/LBismarck 133Dickinson: 320 mg/LDickinson 320Mandan: 337 mg/LMandan 337West Fargo: 392 mg/LWest Fargo 392Grand Forks: 390 mg/LGrand Forks 39079 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 79 mg/L, Fargo is 54 mg/L below the typical North Dakota figure of 133. None of the 5 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 133 mg/L in Bismarck to 392 in West Fargo.

What 79 mg/L means at home

You may see faint white spots on glasses and shower doors after the water dries.

Scale builds up slowly. A kettle or coffee maker needs descaling now and then, maybe every few months.

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

Optional. Plenty of households at this level live with it and descale the kettle now and then.

Water softener

Worth a look if spots on glass bother you, or if your tankless water heater manual asks for softer water.

Carbon filter

Improves taste and removes chlorine. It leaves calcium and magnesium in place.

Softener size for Fargo

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.6 gpg = 1,035 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 23 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Fargo's water system

Fargo City of · PWSID ND0900336

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 120,762 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Fargo.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Bromate'16'18'20'22'24'26Bromate
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Bromate22017–2018Resolved

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 Fargo water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 79 mg/L (4.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 79 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.6.

What size water softener do I need in Fargo?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.6 gpg works out to about 1,035 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 23 days.

Has the Fargo water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Fargo City of since 2016, involving Bromate.

Nearby cities

All 6 cities in North Dakota

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, December 22, 2020), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.