How hard is the water in Akron, OH?

Tap water hardness
116mg/L
6.8gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Akron City PWS · July 2025

OH typical
113 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Akron water measures 116 mg/L (6.8 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Akron City PWS, dated July 2025.

Akron on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+OH typical 113Hudson: 104 mg/LHudson 104Portage Lakes: 116 mg/LPortage Lakes 116Cuyahoga Falls: 116 mg/LCuyahoga Falls 116Aurora: 117 mg/LAurora 117Reminderville: 117 mg/LReminderville 117Kent: 188 mg/LKent 188Barberton: 220 mg/LBarberton 220Stow: 220 mg/LStow 220Green: 220 mg/LGreen 220Wadsworth: 247 mg/LWadsworth 247Akron 116mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+OH 113Portage Lakes: 116 mg/LPortage La. 116Cuyahoga Falls: 116 mg/LCuyahoga F. 116Kent: 188 mg/LKent 188Barberton: 220 mg/LBarberton 220Stow: 220 mg/LStow 220Green: 220 mg/LGreen 220116 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 116 mg/L, Akron is close to the typical Ohio figure of 113 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 104 mg/L in Hudson to 247 in Wadsworth.

What 116 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 Akron

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.8 gpg = 1,526 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 15 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Akron's water system

Akron City PWS · PWSID OH7700011

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 280,000 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Haloacetic acids (HAA5)'16'18'20'22'24'26Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)a disinfection byproduct12025Resolved

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 Akron water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 116 mg/L (6.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 116 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.8.

What size water softener do I need in Akron?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.8 gpg works out to about 1,526 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 15 days.

Has the Akron water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Akron City PWS since 2016, involving Haloacetic acids (HAA5). There were also 3 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 108 cities in Ohio

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, July 14, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.