How hard is the water in Cheat Lake, WV?

Tap water hardness
91mg/L
5.3gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Cheat View PSD · March 2025

WV typical
106 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Cheat Lake water measures 91 mg/L (5.3 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Cheat View PSD, dated March 2025.

Cheat Lake on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+WV typical 106Fairmont: 55 mg/LFairmont 55Brookhaven: 91 mg/LBrookhaven 91Clarksburg: 104 mg/LClarksburg 104Wheeling: 106 mg/LWheeling 106Parkersburg: 114 mg/LParkersburg 114Bridgeport: 122 mg/LBridgeport 122Morgantown: 123 mg/LMorgantown 123Charles: 158 mg/LCharles 158New Martinsville: 228 mg/LNew Martinsville 228Martinsburg: 387 mg/LMartinsburg 387Cheat Lake 91mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+WV 106Fairmont: 55 mg/LFairmont 55Brookhaven: 91 mg/LBrookhaven 91Clarksburg: 104 mg/LClarksburg 104Wheeling: 106 mg/LWheeling 106Bridgeport: 122 mg/LBridgeport 122Morgantown: 123 mg/LMorgantown 12391 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Cheat Lake sits 15 mg/L below the typical West Virginia figure of 106. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 8 have harder. The range nearby runs from 55 mg/L in Fairmont to 387 in Martinsburg.

What 91 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 Cheat Lake

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.3 gpg = 1,192 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 20 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Cheat Lake's water system

Cheat View PSD · PWSID WV3303106

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 9,984 people from surface water. EPA lists this system as inactive.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
39
Open now
0

TapWaterData ties Cheat Lake to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Cheat Lake, so check the utility printed on your water bill.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform RuleSurface Water Treatment Rule (LT2)'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform RuleSurface Water Treatment Rule (LT2)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12022Resolved
Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2)filtration and disinfection12019Resolved

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 Cheat Lake water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 91 mg/L (5.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Cheat Lake in grains per gallon?

About 5.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 91 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.3.

What size water softener do I need in Cheat Lake?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.3 gpg works out to about 1,192 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 20 days.

Has the Cheat Lake water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Cheat View PSD since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule, Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2). There were also 39 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 14 cities in West Virginia

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, March 17, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.