Anderson, SC water hardness

Tap water hardness
12mg/L
0.7gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 650 water samples in Anderson County · July 2026

SC typical
32 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Anderson put hardness at about 12 mg/L (0.7 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 650 samples taken across Anderson County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Anderson's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Anderson's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Anderson on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+SC typical 32Piedmont: 8 mg/LPiedmont 8Welcome: 8 mg/LWelcome 8Gantt: 8 mg/LGantt 8Parker: 8 mg/LParker 8Simpsonville: 8 mg/LSimpsonville 8Mauldin: 8 mg/LMauldin 8Berea: 8 mg/LBerea 8Greenville: 8 mg/LGreenville 8Fountain Inn: 8 mg/LFountain Inn 8Easley: 12 mg/LEasley 12Anderson 12mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+SC 32Piedmont: 8 mg/LPiedmont 8Welcome: 8 mg/LWelcome 8Gantt: 8 mg/LGantt 8Parker: 8 mg/LParker 8Simpsonville: 8 mg/LSimpsonvil. 8Easley: 12 mg/LEasley 1212 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Anderson sits 20 mg/L below the typical South Carolina figure of 32. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 8 mg/L in Piedmont to 12 in Easley.

What 12 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 12 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 Anderson's water system

Electric City Utilities (Sc0410012) · PWSID SC0410012

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 38,204 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Anderson.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12021Resolved

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 Anderson water hard?

No. It measures about 12 mg/L (0.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 0.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 12 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 0.7.

Has the Anderson water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Electric City Utilities (Sc0410012) since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 58 cities in South Carolina

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.