Memphis, TN water hardness

Tap water hardness
40mg/L
2.4gpg
Soft

Reported by Memphis Light, Gas, & Water · September 2025

TN typical
89 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
Utility report

Memphis water measures 40 mg/L (2.4 gpg) of hardness, soft by USGS standards. The number comes from Memphis Light, Gas, & Water, dated September 2025.

Memphis on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TN typical 89Jackson: 19 mg/LJackson 19Bartlett: 36 mg/LBartlett 36Collierville: 51 mg/LCollierville 51Germantown: 63 mg/LGermantown 63Clarksville: 71 mg/LClarksville 71Ashland City: 89 mg/LAshland City 89Brentwood: 89 mg/LBrentwood 89Franklin: 98 mg/LFranklin 98Columbia: 121 mg/LColumbia 121Spring Hill: 138 mg/LSpring Hill 138Memphis 40mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TN 89Jackson: 19 mg/LJackson 19Bartlett: 36 mg/LBartlett 36Collierville: 51 mg/LColliervil. 51Germantown: 63 mg/LGermantown 63Columbia: 121 mg/LColumbia 121Spring Hill: 138 mg/LSpring Hill 13840 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 40 mg/L, Memphis is 49 mg/L below the typical Tennessee figure of 89. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 8 have harder. The range nearby runs from 19 mg/L in Jackson to 138 in Spring Hill.

What 40 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 40 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 Memphis's water system

Memphis Light, Gas, & Water · PWSID TN0000450

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 659,500 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
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 Memphis water hard?

No. It measures about 40 mg/L (2.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 2.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 40 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 2.4.

Has the Memphis water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Memphis Light, Gas, & Water since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 44 cities in Tennessee

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 15, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.