Hard water in Omak, WA
Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · August 2022
- WA typical
- 36 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- Calculated from utility data
Tap water in Omak has about 289 mg/L of hardness, which is 16.9 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as very hard. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (August 2022).
At 289 mg/L, Omak is 253 mg/L above the typical Washington figure of 36. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 60 mg/L in Ellensburg to 230 in Ephrata.
What 289 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 289 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 × 16.9 gpg = 3,805 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.
EPA record for Omak's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 4,940 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 2
- Open now
- 0
EPA lists this system as serving Omak.
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 Omak water hard?
Yes. It measures about 289 mg/L (16.9 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Omak in grains per gallon?
About 16.9 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 289 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 16.9.
What size water softener do I need in Omak?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 16.9 gpg works out to about 3,805 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.
Has the Omak water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Omak City of since 2016. There were also 2 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Ephrata230 mg/LVery hard
- Wenatchee80 mg/LModerately hard
- East Wenatchee80 mg/LModerately hard
- Moses Lake168 mg/LHard
- Airway Heights131 mg/LHard
- Country Homes124 mg/LHard
- Town and Country130 mg/LHard
- Ellensburg60 mg/LSoft
- Mead124 mg/LHard
- Spokane131 mg/LHard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, August 1, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.