How hard is the water in Rhinelander, WI?

Tap water hardness
76mg/L
4.5gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Rhinelander Water & Wastewater · August 2022

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

Rhinelander water measures 76 mg/L (4.5 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Rhinelander Water & Wastewater, dated August 2022.

Rhinelander on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+WI typical 170Wausau: 32 mg/LWausau 32Wisconsin Rapids: 62 mg/LWisconsin Rapids 62Rib Mountain: 90 mg/LRib Mountain 90Merrill: 116 mg/LMerrill 116Weston: 136 mg/LWeston 136Kronenwetter: 150 mg/LKronenwetter 150Rothschild: 157 mg/LRothschild 157Stevens Point: 173 mg/LStevens Point 173Marshfield: 249 mg/LMarshfield 249Plover: 260 mg/LPlover 260Rhinelander 76mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+WI 170Wausau: 32 mg/LWausau 32Rib Mountain: 90 mg/LRib Mounta. 90Merrill: 116 mg/LMerrill 116Weston: 136 mg/LWeston 136Kronenwetter: 150 mg/LKronenwett. 150Rothschild: 157 mg/LRothschild 15776 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Rhinelander sits 94 mg/L below the typical Wisconsin figure of 170. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 8 have harder. The range nearby runs from 32 mg/L in Wausau to 260 in Plover.

What 76 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 Rhinelander

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.5 gpg = 1,003 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 23 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Rhinelander's water system

Rhinelander Water & Wastewater · PWSID WI7440126

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 8,234 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
1
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 Rhinelander water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 76 mg/L (4.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 76 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.5.

What size water softener do I need in Rhinelander?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.5 gpg works out to about 1,003 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 23 days.

Has the Rhinelander water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Rhinelander Water & Wastewater 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

All 112 cities in Wisconsin

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 16, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.