Hard water in La Vergne, TN

Tap water hardness
200mg/L
11.7gpg
Very hardCounty estimate

County estimate from 1,261 water samples in Rutherford County · July 2026

TN typical
89 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
3
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around La Vergne put hardness at about 200 mg/L (11.7 gpg), which would be very hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 1,261 samples taken across Rutherford County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of La Vergne's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists La Vergne's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

La Vergne on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TN typical 89Nolensville: 62 mg/LNolensville 62Lebanon: 78 mg/LLebanon 78Brentwood: 89 mg/LBrentwood 89Mount Juliet: 89 mg/LMount Juliet 89Green Hill: 89 mg/LGreen Hill 89Nashville: 89 mg/LNashville 89Hendersonville: 89 mg/LHendersonville 89Franklin: 98 mg/LFranklin 98Murfreesboro: 101 mg/LMurfreesboro 101Smyrna: 200 mg/LSmyrna 200La Vergne 200mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TN 89Nolensville: 62 mg/LNolensville 62Brentwood: 89 mg/LBrentwood 89Mount Juliet: 89 mg/LMount Juli. 89Green Hill: 89 mg/LGreen Hill 89Murfreesboro: 101 mg/LMurfreesbo. 101Smyrna: 200 mg/LSmyrna 200200 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 200 mg/L, La Vergne is 111 mg/L above the typical Tennessee figure of 89. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 62 mg/L in Nolensville to 200 in Smyrna.

What 200 mg/L means at home

Scale forms fast here. Kettles and coffee makers need regular descaling, and showerheads clog unless you clean them.

Tank water heaters collect mineral sediment that insulates the water from the burner, so flushing the tank matters more than usual.

Dishes and glass shower doors spot easily. Soap scum and a dull film on hair or laundry are common complaints.

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

At 200 mg/L most of the trouble is scale, and only a few things deal with it.

Ion-exchange water softener

The standard whole-house fix. It swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and needs salt plus a drain. Size it with the calculator below.

Salt-free conditioner

No salt and no drain line. It changes how minerals form scale instead of removing them, so water still tests hard.

Reverse osmosis or carbon filter

Under-sink reverse osmosis removes minerals from drinking water only. Plain carbon filters improve taste but do not soften.

Softener size for La Vergne

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 11.7 gpg = 2,632 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 9 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for La Vergne's water system

La Vergne Water System · PWSID TN0000386

3 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 38,730 people from surface water.

Health-based
3
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving La Vergne.

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 disinfection32016–2018Resolved

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 La Vergne water hard?

Yes. It measures about 200 mg/L (11.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

What is the water hardness in La Vergne in grains per gallon?

About 11.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 200 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 11.7.

What size water softener do I need in La Vergne?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 11.7 gpg works out to about 2,632 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 9 days.

Has the La Vergne water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 3 health-based violations for La Vergne Water System since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule. There were also 3 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 44 cities in Tennessee

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.