How hard is the water in Wells Branch, TX?
Reported by City of Austin Water & Wastewater · October 2025
- TX typical
- 112 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 5
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Wells Branch carries roughly 63 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.7 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from City of Austin Water & Wastewater, dated October 2025. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 63 to 79 mg/L.
At 63 mg/L, Wells Branch is 49 mg/L below the typical Texas figure of 112. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 68 mg/L in Austin to 178 in Pflugerville.
What 63 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.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.7 gpg = 826 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 29 days.
EPA record for Wells Branch's water system
5 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 1,115,323 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 5
- Monitoring or reporting
- 0
- Open now
- 0
TapWaterData ties Wells Branch to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Wells Branch, so check the utility printed on your water bill.
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection | 5 | 2018–2022 | 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 Wells Branch water hard?
Somewhat. It measures about 63 mg/L (3.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.
What is the water hardness in Wells Branch in grains per gallon?
About 3.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 63 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.7.
What size water softener do I need in Wells Branch?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.7 gpg works out to about 826 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 29 days.
Has the Wells Branch water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 5 health-based violations for City of Austin Water & Wastewater since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule.
Nearby cities
- Pflugerville178 mg/LHard
- Round Rock169 mg/LHard
- Brushy Creek74 mg/LModerately hard
- Cedar Park157 mg/LHard
- Manor92 mg/LModerately hard
- Hutto141 mg/LHard
- Austin68 mg/LModerately hard
- Steiner Ranch94 mg/LModerately hard
- Leander162 mg/LHard
- Hornsby Bend165 mg/LHard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, October 15, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.