Othello, WA water hardness

Tap water hardness
33mg/L
1.9gpg
Soft

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · August 2022

WA typical
36 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
Calculated from utility data

Othello water measures 33 mg/L (1.9 gpg) of hardness, soft by USGS standards. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (August 2022).

Othello on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+WA typical 36West Richland: 33 mg/LWest Richland 33Toppenish: 63 mg/LToppenish 63Terrace Heights: 88 mg/LTerrace Heights 88Richland: 89 mg/LRichland 89Kennewick: 96 mg/LKennewick 96Finley: 96 mg/LFinley 96Moses Lake: 168 mg/LMoses Lake 168Grandview: 208 mg/LGrandview 208Ephrata: 230 mg/LEphrata 230Pasco: 268 mg/LPasco 268Othello 33mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+WA 36West Richland: 33 mg/LWest Richl. 33Richland: 89 mg/LRichland 89Kennewick: 96 mg/LKennewick 96Moses Lake: 168 mg/LMoses Lake 168Ephrata: 230 mg/LEphrata 230Pasco: 268 mg/LPasco 26833 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

At 33 mg/L, Othello is close to the typical Washington figure of 36 mg/L. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 33 mg/L in West Richland to 268 in Pasco.

What 33 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 33 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Othello's water system

Othello Water Department · PWSID WA5364850

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 8,755 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
49
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Othello.

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 Othello water hard?

No. It measures about 33 mg/L (1.9 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.9 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 33 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.9.

Has the Othello water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Othello Water Department since 2016. There were also 49 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 145 cities in Washington

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, August 8, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.