Hard water in Highland, UT

Tap water hardness
195mg/L
11.4gpg
Very hard

Reported by Highland City · April 2024

UT typical
231 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Highland carries roughly 195 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 11.4 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from Highland City, dated April 2024.

Highland on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+UT typical 231Draper: 94 mg/LDraper 94Saratoga Springs: 96 mg/LSaratoga Springs 96Lindon: 118 mg/LLindon 118Orem: 140 mg/LOrem 140Lehi: 144 mg/LLehi 144Sandy: 156 mg/LSandy 156Riverton: 206 mg/LRiverton 206American Fork: 223 mg/LAmerican Fork 223Pleasant Grove: 256 mg/LPleasant Grove 256Herriman: 424 mg/LHerriman 424Highland 195mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+UT 231Draper: 94 mg/LDraper 94Saratoga Springs: 96 mg/LSaratoga S. 96Lindon: 118 mg/LLindon 118Lehi: 144 mg/LLehi 144American Fork: 223 mg/LAmerican F. 223Pleasant Grove: 256 mg/LPleasant G. 256195 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Highland sits 36 mg/L below the typical Utah figure of 231. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 94 mg/L in Draper to 424 in Herriman.

What 195 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 195 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 Highland

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 11.4 gpg = 2,565 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 9 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Highland's water system

Highland City · PWSID UTAH25014

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 22,000 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
22
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Highland.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Groundwater Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Groundwater Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Groundwater Ruletreatment of well water12017Resolved

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 Highland water hard?

Yes. It measures about 195 mg/L (11.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

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

About 11.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 195 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 11.4.

What size water softener do I need in Highland?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 11.4 gpg works out to about 2,565 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 9 days.

Has the Highland water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Highland City since 2016, involving Groundwater Rule. There were also 22 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 55 cities in Utah

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, April 12, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.