How hard is the water in Richmond, TX?

Tap water hardness
62mg/L
3.6gpg
Moderately hardReports range 18–62

Reported by Fort Bend County MUD 25 · June 2022

TX typical
112 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Richmond carries roughly 62 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.6 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Fort Bend County MUD 25, dated June 2022. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 18 to 62 mg/L.

Richmond on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TX typical 112Sealy: 44 mg/LSealy 44Bellaire: 54 mg/LBellaire 54Stafford: 57 mg/LStafford 57Missouri City: 67 mg/LMissouri City 67Pearland: 79 mg/LPearland 79West University Place: 88 mg/LWest University Place 88Houston: 96 mg/LHouston 96Rosenberg: 108 mg/LRosenberg 108Sugar Land: 118 mg/LSugar Land 118Sienna: 170 mg/LSienna 170Richmond 62mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TX 112Bellaire: 54 mg/LBellaire 54Stafford: 57 mg/LStafford 57Missouri City: 67 mg/LMissouri C. 67Rosenberg: 108 mg/LRosenberg 108Sugar Land: 118 mg/LSugar Land 118Sienna: 170 mg/LSienna 17062 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Richmond sits 50 mg/L below the typical Texas figure of 112. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 44 mg/L in Sealy to 170 in Sienna.

What 62 mg/L means at home

You may see faint white spots on glasses and shower doors after the water dries.

Scale builds up slowly. A kettle or coffee maker needs descaling now and then, maybe every few months.

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

Optional. Plenty of households at this level live with it and descale the kettle now and then.

Water softener

Worth a look if spots on glass bother you, or if your tankless water heater manual asks for softer water.

Carbon filter

Improves taste and removes chlorine. It leaves calcium and magnesium in place.

Softener size for Richmond

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.6 gpg = 819 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 29 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Richmond's water system

Fort Bend County MUD 25 · PWSID TX0790130

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 15,327 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

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 Richmond water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 62 mg/L (3.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 3.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 62 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.6.

What size water softener do I need in Richmond?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.6 gpg works out to about 819 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 29 days.

Has the Richmond water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Fort Bend County MUD 25 since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 342 cities in Texas

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.