How hard is the water in Lakewood, OH?
Reported by Lakewood City PWS · March 2025
- OH typical
- 113 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Lakewood carries roughly 112 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 6.5 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Lakewood City PWS, dated March 2025.
At 112 mg/L, Lakewood is close to the typical Ohio figure of 113 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 78 mg/L in Avon Lake to 247 in Brunswick.
What 112 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.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.5 gpg = 1,474 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 16 days.
EPA record for Lakewood's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 50,942 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 9
- Open now
- 0
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 Lakewood water hard?
Somewhat. It measures about 112 mg/L (6.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.
What is the water hardness in Lakewood in grains per gallon?
About 6.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 112 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.5.
What size water softener do I need in Lakewood?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.5 gpg works out to about 1,474 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 16 days.
Has the Lakewood water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Lakewood City PWS since 2016. There were also 9 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Fairview Park111 mg/LModerately hard
- Cleveland111 mg/LModerately hard
- North Olmsted210 mg/LVery hard
- Avon130 mg/LHard
- Avon Lake78 mg/LModerately hard
- North Ridgeville220 mg/LVery hard
- Brunswick247 mg/LVery hard
- Elyria220 mg/LVery hard
- Solon210 mg/LVery hard
- Lorain220 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, March 20, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.