Hard water in Cameron, TX
Reported by City of Cameron · June 2022
- TX typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 18
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Cameron carries roughly 146 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 8.6 grains per gallon. That is hard water. The number comes from City of Cameron, dated June 2022. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 146 to 196 mg/L.
Cameron sits 34 mg/L above the typical Texas figure of 112. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 11 mg/L in Bryan to 285 in Harker Heights.
What 146 mg/L means at home
Expect white crust on faucets and showerheads, plus spots on dishes that come out of the dishwasher.
Kettles collect scale quickly. Water heaters build up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which makes them work harder over time.
Soap and detergent need a little more to lather, and soap scum shows up in the tub.
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 146 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.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 8.6 gpg = 1,928 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 12 days.
EPA record for Cameron's water system
18 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 5,489 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 18
- Monitoring or reporting
- 32
- Open now
- 5
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct | 17 | 2018–2025 | Resolved |
| Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling | 1 | 2024 | Resolved |
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 Cameron water hard?
Yes. It measures about 146 mg/L (8.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in Cameron in grains per gallon?
About 8.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 146 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 8.6.
What size water softener do I need in Cameron?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 8.6 gpg works out to about 1,928 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 12 days.
Has the Cameron water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 18 health-based violations for City of Cameron since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 32 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Rockdale77 mg/LModerately hard
- Temple125 mg/LHard
- Belton133 mg/LHard
- Taylor160 mg/LHard
- Sonterra147 mg/LHard
- Bryan11 mg/LSoft
- Jarrell150 mg/LHard
- Hutto141 mg/LHard
- Robinson31 mg/LSoft
- Harker Heights285 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 23, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.