How hard is the water in Powell, TN?

Tap water hardness
99mg/L
5.8gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by First Util Dist of Knox County · August 2025

TN typical
89 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Powell has about 99 mg/L of hardness, which is 5.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from First Util Dist of Knox County, dated August 2025.

Powell on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TN typical 89Alcoa: 37 mg/LAlcoa 37Maryville: 42 mg/LMaryville 42Eagleton Village: 46 mg/LEagleton Village 46Cookeville: 56 mg/LCookeville 56Harrison: 71 mg/LHarrison 71Knoxville: 91 mg/LKnoxville 91Kingsport: 106 mg/LKingsport 106Oak Ridge: 132 mg/LOak Ridge 132Cleveland: 150 mg/LCleveland 150Morristown: 260 mg/LMorristown 260Powell 99mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TN 89Alcoa: 37 mg/LAlcoa 37Maryville: 42 mg/LMaryville 42Eagleton Village: 46 mg/LEagleton V. 46Knoxville: 91 mg/LKnoxville 91Oak Ridge: 132 mg/LOak Ridge 132Morristown: 260 mg/LMorristown 26099 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 99 mg/L, Powell is close to the typical Tennessee figure of 89 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 37 mg/L in Alcoa to 260 in Morristown.

What 99 mg/L means at home

You may see faint white spots on glasses and shower doors after the water dries.

Scale builds up slowly. A kettle or coffee maker needs descaling now and then, maybe every few months.

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

Optional. Plenty of households at this level live with it and descale the kettle now and then.

Water softener

Worth a look if spots on glass bother you, or if your tankless water heater manual asks for softer water.

Carbon filter

Improves taste and removes chlorine. It leaves calcium and magnesium in place.

Softener size for Powell

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.8 gpg = 1,305 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 18 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Powell's water system

First U.d. of Knox County · PWSID TN0000369

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 115,531 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
1

TapWaterData ties Powell to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Powell, so check the utility printed on your water bill.

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 Powell water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 99 mg/L (5.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 99 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.8.

What size water softener do I need in Powell?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.8 gpg works out to about 1,305 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 18 days.

Has the Powell water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for First U.d. of Knox County since 2016. There were also 2 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 (utility report, August 26, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.