Hard water in Hornsby Bend, TX
Reported by Manville WSC · June 2024
- TX typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 5
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Hornsby Bend carries roughly 165 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 9.7 grains per gallon. That is hard water. The number comes from Manville WSC, dated June 2024. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 124 to 165 mg/L.
At 165 mg/L, Hornsby Bend is 53 mg/L above 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 55 mg/L in Wyldwood to 178 in Pflugerville.
What 165 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 165 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 × 9.7 gpg = 2,171 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 11 days.
EPA record for Hornsby Bend's water system
5 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 39,648 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 5
- Monitoring or reporting
- 6
- Open now
- 0
TapWaterData ties Hornsby Bend to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Hornsby Bend, so check the utility printed on your water bill.
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct | 5 | 2020–2025 | 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 Hornsby Bend water hard?
Yes. It measures about 165 mg/L (9.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in Hornsby Bend in grains per gallon?
About 9.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 165 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 9.7.
What size water softener do I need in Hornsby Bend?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 9.7 gpg works out to about 2,171 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 11 days.
Has the Hornsby Bend water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 5 health-based violations for Manville WSC since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 6 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Manor92 mg/LModerately hard
- Wyldwood55 mg/LSoft
- Austin68 mg/LModerately hard
- Elgin63 mg/LModerately hard
- Pflugerville178 mg/LHard
- Wells Branch63 mg/LModerately hard
- Shady Hollow63 mg/LModerately hard
- Camp Swift55 mg/LSoft
- Bastrop75 mg/LModerately hard
- Buda136 mg/LHard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 11, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.