Hard water in Kerrville, TX
Reported by City of Kerrville · March 2024
- TX typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 16
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Kerrville carries roughly 197 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 11.5 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from City of Kerrville, dated March 2024. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 197 to 240 mg/L.
Kerrville sits 85 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 27 mg/L in Hondo to 304 in Fredericksburg.
What 197 mg/L means at home
Scale forms fast here. Kettles and coffee makers need regular descaling, and showerheads clog unless you clean them.
Tank water heaters collect mineral sediment that insulates the water from the burner, so flushing the tank matters more than usual.
Dishes and glass shower doors spot easily. Soap scum and a dull film on hair or laundry are common complaints.
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 197 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 × 11.5 gpg = 2,596 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 9 days.
EPA record for Kerrville's water system
16 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 30,530 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 16
- Monitoring or reporting
- 16
- Open now
- 0
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct | 15 | 2016–2024 | Resolved |
| Total Coliform Rulebacteria | 1 | 2016 | 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 Kerrville water hard?
Yes. It measures about 197 mg/L (11.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Kerrville in grains per gallon?
About 11.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 197 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 11.5.
What size water softener do I need in Kerrville?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 11.5 gpg works out to about 2,596 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 9 days.
Has the Kerrville water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 16 health-based violations for City of Kerrville since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Total Coliform Rule. There were also 16 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Fredericksburg304 mg/LVery hard
- Fair Oaks Ranch180 mg/LHard
- Scenic Oaks180 mg/LVery hard
- Helotes180 mg/LHard
- Timberwood Park180 mg/LHard
- Bulverde157 mg/LHard
- Hondo27 mg/LSoft
- Leon Valley180 mg/LHard
- San Antonio179 mg/LHard
- Alamo Heights180 mg/LHard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, March 1, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.