How hard is the water in Dallas, TX?

Tap water hardness
112mg/L
6.5gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Dallas Water Utility · September 2025

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

Tap water in Dallas has about 112 mg/L of hardness, which is 6.5 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Dallas Water Utility, dated September 2025.

Dallas on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TX typical 112Irving: 81 mg/LIrving 81University Park: 88 mg/LUniversity Park 88Lancaster: 96 mg/LLancaster 96Sunnyvale: 140 mg/LSunnyvale 140Mesquite: 142 mg/LMesquite 142Garland: 146 mg/LGarland 146Richardson: 150 mg/LRichardson 150Balch Springs: 164 mg/LBalch Springs 164Duncanville: 164 mg/LDuncanville 164Farmers Branch: 168 mg/LFarmers Branch 168Dallas 112mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TX 112University Park: 88 mg/LUniversity. 88Sunnyvale: 140 mg/LSunnyvale 140Mesquite: 142 mg/LMesquite 142Garland: 146 mg/LGarland 146Balch Springs: 164 mg/LBalch Spri. 164Farmers Branch: 168 mg/LFarmers Br. 168112 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Dallas sits close to the typical Texas figure of 112 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 81 mg/L in Irving to 168 in Farmers Branch.

What 112 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 Dallas

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.5 gpg = 1,474 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 16 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Dallas's water system

Dallas Water Utility · PWSID TX0570004

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 1,356,479 people from surface water.

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 Dallas water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 112 mg/L (6.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 112 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.5.

What size water softener do I need in Dallas?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.5 gpg works out to about 1,474 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 16 days.

Has the Dallas water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Dallas Water Utility since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 342 cities in Texas

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 30, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.