How hard is the water in Brenham, TX?

Tap water hardness
91mg/L
5.3gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by City of Brenham · November 2024

TX typical
112 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Brenham water measures 91 mg/L (5.3 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. The number comes from City of Brenham, dated November 2024.

Brenham on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TX typical 112College Station: 10 mg/LCollege Station 10Bryan: 11 mg/LBryan 11Giddings: 20 mg/LGiddings 20Prairie View: 43 mg/LPrairie View 43Sealy: 44 mg/LSealy 44Hempstead: 49 mg/LHempstead 49Navasota: 53 mg/LNavasota 53Waller: 74 mg/LWaller 74Tomball: 82 mg/LTomball 82Magnolia: 144 mg/LMagnolia 144Brenham 91mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TX 112College Station: 10 mg/LCollege St. 10Prairie View: 43 mg/LPrairie Vi. 43Sealy: 44 mg/LSealy 44Hempstead: 49 mg/LHempstead 49Navasota: 53 mg/LNavasota 53Waller: 74 mg/LWaller 7491 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Brenham sits 21 mg/L below the typical Texas figure of 112. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 9 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 10 mg/L in College Station to 144 in Magnolia.

What 91 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 Brenham

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.3 gpg = 1,199 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 20 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Brenham's water system

City of Brenham · PWSID TX2390001

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 18,469 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026ChloriteHaloacetic acids (HAA5)'16'18'20'22'24'26ChloriteHaloacetic acids (HAA5)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Chlorite12016Resolved
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)a disinfection byproduct12016Resolved

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 Brenham water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 91 mg/L (5.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 91 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.3.

What size water softener do I need in Brenham?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.3 gpg works out to about 1,199 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 20 days.

Has the Brenham water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for City of Brenham since 2016, involving Chlorite, Haloacetic acids (HAA5). There were also 3 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 342 cities in Texas

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, November 21, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.