Hard water in Hudson, WI

Tap water hardness
210mg/L
12.3gpg
Very hard

Reported by Hudson Waterworks · June 2024

WI typical
170 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Hudson has about 210 mg/L of hardness, which is 12.3 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as very hard. The number comes from Hudson Waterworks, dated June 2024.

Hudson on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+WI typical 170Chippewa Falls: 49 mg/LChippewa Falls 49Lake Hallie: 61 mg/LLake Hallie 61Rice Lake: 96 mg/LRice Lake 96Eau Claire: 101 mg/LEau Claire 101Altoona: 102 mg/LAltoona 102Menomonie: 150 mg/LMenomonie 150River Falls: 180 mg/LRiver Falls 180New Richmond: 194 mg/LNew Richmond 194Holmen: 319 mg/LHolmen 319Onalaska: 337 mg/LOnalaska 337Hudson 210mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+WI 170Rice Lake: 96 mg/LRice Lake 96Eau Claire: 101 mg/LEau Claire 101Altoona: 102 mg/LAltoona 102Menomonie: 150 mg/LMenomonie 150River Falls: 180 mg/LRiver Falls 180New Richmond: 194 mg/LNew Richmo. 194210 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 210 mg/L, Hudson is 40 mg/L above the typical Wisconsin figure of 170. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 8 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 49 mg/L in Chippewa Falls to 337 in Onalaska.

What 210 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 210 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.

Softener size for Hudson

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 12.3 gpg = 2,763 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 8 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Hudson's water system

Hudson Waterworks · PWSID WI6560087

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 18,558 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
1
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Lead and Copper Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Lead and Copper Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling12024Resolved

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 Hudson water hard?

Yes. It measures about 210 mg/L (12.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

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

About 12.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 210 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 12.3.

What size water softener do I need in Hudson?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 12.3 gpg works out to about 2,763 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 8 days.

Has the Hudson water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Hudson Waterworks since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 2 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 112 cities in Wisconsin

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 24, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.