Florence, SC water hardness

Tap water hardness
21mg/L
1.2gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 421 water samples in Florence County · July 2026

SC typical
32 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Florence put hardness at about 21 mg/L (1.2 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 421 samples taken across Florence County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Florence's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Florence's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Florence on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+SC typical 32Sumter: 23 mg/LSumter 23Myrtle Beach: 30 mg/LMyrtle Beach 30North Myrtle Beach: 30 mg/LNorth Myrtle Beach 30Socastee: 31 mg/LSocastee 31Murrells Inlet: 31 mg/LMurrells Inlet 31Columbia: 37 mg/LColumbia 37Woodfield: 37 mg/LWoodfield 37Dentsville: 37 mg/LDentsville 37Conway: 42 mg/LConway 42Red Hill: 42 mg/LRed Hill 42Florence 21mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+SC 32Sumter: 23 mg/LSumter 23Myrtle Beach: 30 mg/LMyrtle Bea. 30Socastee: 31 mg/LSocastee 31Murrells Inlet: 31 mg/LMurrells I. 31Conway: 42 mg/LConway 42Red Hill: 42 mg/LRed Hill 4221 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Florence sits 11 mg/L below the typical South Carolina figure of 32. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 23 mg/L in Sumter to 42 in Conway.

What 21 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 21 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 Florence's water system

Florence City of (Sc2110001) · PWSID SC2110001

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 79,745 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Florence.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection22017–2018Resolved

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 Florence water hard?

No. It measures about 21 mg/L (1.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 21 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.2.

Has the Florence water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Florence City of (Sc2110001) since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment 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.