Oberlin, OH water hardness

Tap water hardness
50mg/L
2.9gpg
Soft

Reported by Oberlin Water Department · August 2025

OH typical
113 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Oberlin has about 50 mg/L of hardness, which is 2.9 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Oberlin Water Department, dated August 2025.

Oberlin on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+OH typical 113Avon Lake: 78 mg/LAvon Lake 78Medina: 88 mg/LMedina 88Fairview Park: 111 mg/LFairview Park 111Lakewood: 112 mg/LLakewood 112Avon: 130 mg/LAvon 130North Olmsted: 210 mg/LNorth Olmsted 210Elyria: 220 mg/LElyria 220Lorain: 220 mg/LLorain 220North Ridgeville: 220 mg/LNorth Ridgeville 220Brunswick: 247 mg/LBrunswick 247Oberlin 50mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+OH 113Avon Lake: 78 mg/LAvon Lake 78Avon: 130 mg/LAvon 130North Olmsted: 210 mg/LNorth Olms. 210Elyria: 220 mg/LElyria 220Lorain: 220 mg/LLorain 220North Ridgeville: 220 mg/LNorth Ridg. 22050 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Oberlin sits 63 mg/L below the typical Ohio figure of 113. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 78 mg/L in Avon Lake to 247 in Brunswick.

What 50 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 50 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 Oberlin's water system

Oberlin Water Department · PWSID OH4700911

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 8,600 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
1
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment RuleTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM)'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment RuleTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection12024Resolved
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)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 Oberlin water hard?

No. It measures about 50 mg/L (2.9 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 2.9 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 50 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 2.9.

Has the Oberlin water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Oberlin Water Department since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 108 cities in Ohio

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 11, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.