How hard is the water in Parkersburg, WV?

Tap water hardness
114mg/L
6.7gpg
Moderately hardCounty estimate

County estimate from 259 water samples in Wood County · July 2026

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

Water samples from around Parkersburg put hardness at about 114 mg/L (6.7 gpg), which would be moderately hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 259 samples taken across Wood County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Parkersburg's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Parkersburg's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Parkersburg on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+WV typical 106Charleston: 41 mg/LCharleston 41South Charleston: 41 mg/LSouth Charleston 41Fairmont: 55 mg/LFairmont 55Brookhaven: 91 mg/LBrookhaven 91Clarksburg: 104 mg/LClarksburg 104Wheeling: 106 mg/LWheeling 106Bridgeport: 122 mg/LBridgeport 122Morgantown: 123 mg/LMorgantown 123Huntington: 137 mg/LHuntington 137New Martinsville: 228 mg/LNew Martinsville 228Parkersburg 114mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+WV 106Charleston: 41 mg/LCharleston 41South Charleston: 41 mg/LSouth Char. 41Clarksburg: 104 mg/LClarksburg 104Wheeling: 106 mg/LWheeling 106Bridgeport: 122 mg/LBridgeport 122New Martinsville: 228 mg/LNew Martin. 228114 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 114 mg/L, Parkersburg is close to the typical West Virginia figure of 106 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 41 mg/L in Charleston to 228 in New Martinsville.

What 114 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 Parkersburg

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.7 gpg = 1,501 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 15 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Parkersburg's water system

Parkersburg Utility Board · PWSID WV3305407

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 34,251 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
6
Open now
1

EPA lists this system as serving Parkersburg.

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 water22023Resolved

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 Parkersburg water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 114 mg/L (6.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 114 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.7.

What size water softener do I need in Parkersburg?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.7 gpg works out to about 1,501 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 15 days.

Has the Parkersburg water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Parkersburg Utility Board since 2016, involving Groundwater Rule. There were also 6 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 (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.