Hard water in Laredo, TX

Tap water hardness
223mg/L
13.0gpg
Very hardReports range 223–275

Reported by City of Laredo · January 2025

TX typical
112 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
7
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Laredo carries roughly 223 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 13.0 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from City of Laredo, dated January 2025. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 223 to 275 mg/L.

Laredo on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TX typical 112Crystal City: 54 mg/LCrystal City 54Kingsville: 100 mg/LKingsville 100Roma: 150 mg/LRoma 150Rio Grande City: 154 mg/LRio Grande City 154Alice: 175 mg/LAlice 175La Joya: 179 mg/LLa Joya 179Eidson Road: 194 mg/LEidson Road 194Eagle Pass: 194 mg/LEagle Pass 194Salida del Sol Estates: 199 mg/LSalida del Sol Estates 199Penitas: 199 mg/LPenitas 199Laredo 223mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TX 112Crystal City: 54 mg/LCrystal Ci. 54Roma: 150 mg/LRoma 150Rio Grande City: 154 mg/LRio Grande. 154Alice: 175 mg/LAlice 175Eidson Road: 194 mg/LEidson Road 194Eagle Pass: 194 mg/LEagle Pass 194223 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 223 mg/L, Laredo is 111 mg/L above the typical Texas figure of 112. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 54 mg/L in Crystal City to 199 in Salida del Sol Estates.

What 223 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 223 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 Laredo

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 13.0 gpg = 2,930 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Laredo's water system

City of Laredo · PWSID TX2400001

7 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 260,046 people from surface water.

Health-based
7
Monitoring or reporting
14
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform RuleLead and Copper RuleTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM)'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform RuleLead and Copper RuleTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria22024–2026Resolved
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling12024Resolved
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct42016–2017Resolved

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 Laredo water hard?

Yes. It measures about 223 mg/L (13.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

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

About 13.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 223 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 13.0.

What size water softener do I need in Laredo?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 13.0 gpg works out to about 2,930 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.

Has the Laredo water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 7 health-based violations for City of Laredo since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule, Lead and Copper Rule, Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). There were also 14 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, January 30, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.