Hard water in La Feria, TX
Reported by City of La Feria · June 2022
- TX typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 5
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in La Feria carries roughly 149 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 8.7 grains per gallon. That is hard water. The number comes from City of La Feria, dated June 2022.
At 149 mg/L, La Feria is 37 mg/L above the typical Texas figure of 112. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 161 mg/L in Mila Doce to 228 in Harlingen.
What 149 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 149 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 × 8.7 gpg = 1,960 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 12 days.
EPA record for La Feria's water system
5 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 7,226 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 5
- Monitoring or reporting
- 14
- Open now
- 3
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection | 1 | 2021 | Resolved |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct | 4 | 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 La Feria water hard?
Yes. It measures about 149 mg/L (8.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.
What is the water hardness in La Feria in grains per gallon?
About 8.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 149 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 8.7.
What size water softener do I need in La Feria?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 8.7 gpg works out to about 1,960 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 12 days.
Has the La Feria water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 5 health-based violations for City of La Feria since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 14 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Mercedes166 mg/LHard
- Harlingen228 mg/LVery hard
- Progreso173 mg/LHard
- Mila Doce161 mg/LHard
- Weslaco164 mg/LHard
- San Benito224 mg/LVery hard
- Olivarez161 mg/LHard
- Donna216 mg/LVery hard
- Elsa161 mg/LHard
- Alamo166 mg/LHard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 22, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.