Hard water in Verona, WI
Reported by Verona Waterworks · May 2025
- WI typical
- 170 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 1
- Softener for 3 people
- 48k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Verona carries roughly 360 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 21.1 grains per gallon. That is very hard water. The number comes from Verona Waterworks, dated May 2025.
At 360 mg/L, Verona is 190 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 270 mg/L in Fitchburg to 420 in Monona.
What 360 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 360 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 × 21.1 gpg = 4,736 grains a day. A 48,000-grain unit regenerates about every 10 days.
EPA record for Verona's water system
1 health-based violation since 2016
Serves about 14,030 people from groundwater.
- Health-based
- 1
- Monitoring or reporting
- 6
- Open now
- 1
| Contaminant or rule | Violations | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling | 1 | 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 Verona water hard?
Yes. It measures about 360 mg/L (21.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.
What is the water hardness in Verona in grains per gallon?
About 21.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 360 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 21.1.
What size water softener do I need in Verona?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 21.1 gpg works out to about 4,736 grains a day. A 48,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 10 days.
Has the Verona water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Verona Waterworks since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 6 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Fitchburg270 mg/LVery hard
- Middleton337 mg/LVery hard
- Madison341 mg/LVery hard
- Oregon283 mg/LVery hard
- Monona420 mg/LVery hard
- McFarland364 mg/LVery hard
- Waunakee282 mg/LVery hard
- Stoughton312 mg/LVery hard
- Cottage Grove347 mg/LVery hard
- DeForest280 mg/LVery hard
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, May 27, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.