Hard water in Edgerton, WI
Reported by Edgerton Waterworks · August 2022
- WI typical
- 170 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 2
- Softener for 3 people
- 32k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Edgerton carries roughly 291 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 17.0 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from Edgerton Waterworks, dated August 2022.
Edgerton sits 121 mg/L above the typical Wisconsin figure of 170. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 278 mg/L in Fort Atkinson to 364 in McFarland.
What 291 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 291 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 × 17.0 gpg = 3,830 grains a day. A 32,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.
EPA record for Edgerton's water system
2 health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 5,512 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 2
- Monitoring or reporting
- 1
- Open now
- 1
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling | 2 | 2018–2024 | Resolved |
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 Edgerton water hard?
Yes. It measures about 291 mg/L (17.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Edgerton in grains per gallon?
About 17.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 291 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 17.0.
What size water softener do I need in Edgerton?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 17.0 gpg works out to about 3,830 grains a day. A 32,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.
Has the Edgerton water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Edgerton Waterworks since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Milton342 mg/LVery hard
- Stoughton312 mg/LVery hard
- Janesville298 mg/LVery hard
- Fort Atkinson278 mg/LVery hard
- McFarland364 mg/LVery hard
- Whitewater323 mg/LVery hard
- Oregon283 mg/LVery hard
- Jefferson280 mg/LVery hard
- Lake Mills324 mg/LVery hard
- Cottage Grove347 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 9, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.