Hard water in Dickinson, TX

Tap water hardness
171mg/L
10.0gpg
Hard

Reported by City of Texas City · March 2025

TX typical
112 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Dickinson has about 171 mg/L of hardness, which is 10.0 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as hard. The number comes from City of Texas City, dated March 2025.

Dickinson on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TX typical 112Webster: 42 mg/LWebster 42Seabrook: 61 mg/LSeabrook 61Nassau Bay: 67 mg/LNassau Bay 67Friendswood: 69 mg/LFriendswood 69Bacliff: 94 mg/LBacliff 94Santa Fe: 100 mg/LSanta Fe 100League City: 114 mg/LLeague City 114Hitchcock: 145 mg/LHitchcock 145Texas City: 200 mg/LTexas City 200La Marque: 202 mg/LLa Marque 202Dickinson 171mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TX 112Webster: 42 mg/LWebster 42Nassau Bay: 67 mg/LNassau Bay 67Bacliff: 94 mg/LBacliff 94Santa Fe: 100 mg/LSanta Fe 100League City: 114 mg/LLeague City 114La Marque: 202 mg/LLa Marque 202171 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 171 mg/L, Dickinson is 59 mg/L above the typical Texas figure of 112. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 8 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 42 mg/L in Webster to 202 in La Marque.

What 171 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 171 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.

Softener size for Dickinson

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 10.0 gpg = 2,246 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 10 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Dickinson's water system

City of Texas City · PWSID TX0840008

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 61,541 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0

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

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12023Resolved

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 Dickinson water hard?

Yes. It measures about 171 mg/L (10.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.

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

About 10.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 171 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 10.0.

What size water softener do I need in Dickinson?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 10.0 gpg works out to about 2,246 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 10 days.

Has the Dickinson water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for City of Texas City since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. 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, March 4, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.