Hard water in Penitas, TX
Reported by Agua SUD · June 2022
- TX typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
Penitas water measures 199 mg/L (11.6 gpg) of hardness, very hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Agua SUD, dated June 2022. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 199 to 281 mg/L.
Penitas sits 87 mg/L above the typical Texas figure of 112. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 159 mg/L in Alton to 211 in McAllen.
What 199 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 199 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 × 11.6 gpg = 2,619 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 9 days.
EPA record for Penitas's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 53,796 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
TapWaterData ties Penitas to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Penitas, so check the utility printed on your water bill.
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorite | 1 | 2023 | 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 Penitas water hard?
Yes. It measures about 199 mg/L (11.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Penitas in grains per gallon?
About 11.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 199 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 11.6.
What size water softener do I need in Penitas?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 11.6 gpg works out to about 2,619 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 9 days.
Has the Penitas water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Agua SUD since 2016, involving Chlorite.
Nearby cities
- La Joya179 mg/LHard
- Doffing199 mg/LVery hard
- Palmview198 mg/LVery hard
- Salida del Sol Estates199 mg/LVery hard
- La Homa185 mg/LVery hard
- Mission177 mg/LHard
- Alton159 mg/LHard
- McAllen211 mg/LVery hard
- Hidalgo161 mg/LHard
- Pharr210 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 30, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.