How hard is the water in Waco, TX?

Tap water hardness
105mg/L
6.1gpg
Moderately hardReports range 105–123

Reported by City of Waco · November 2024

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

The water in Waco carries roughly 105 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 6.1 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from City of Waco, dated November 2024. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 105 to 123 mg/L.

Waco on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+TX typical 112Lacy-Lakeview: 7 mg/LLacy-Lakeview 7McGregor: 12 mg/LMcGregor 12Hillsboro: 24 mg/LHillsboro 24Robinson: 31 mg/LRobinson 31Woodway: 103 mg/LWoodway 103Gatesville: 112 mg/LGatesville 112Temple: 125 mg/LTemple 125Belton: 133 mg/LBelton 133Killeen: 144 mg/LKilleen 144Harker Heights: 285 mg/LHarker Heights 285Waco 105mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+TX 112Lacy-Lakeview: 7 mg/LLacy-Lakev. 7McGregor: 12 mg/LMcGregor 12Hillsboro: 24 mg/LHillsboro 24Robinson: 31 mg/LRobinson 31Woodway: 103 mg/LWoodway 103Temple: 125 mg/LTemple 125105 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Waco sits close to the typical Texas figure of 112 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 7 mg/L in Lacy-Lakeview to 285 in Harker Heights.

What 105 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 Waco

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.1 gpg = 1,377 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 17 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Waco's water system

City of Waco · PWSID TX1550008

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 146,241 people from surface water.

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 Waco water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 105 mg/L (6.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 105 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.1.

What size water softener do I need in Waco?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.1 gpg works out to about 1,377 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 17 days.

Has the Waco water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for City of Waco since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 342 cities in Texas

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, November 19, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.