How hard is the water in Wisconsin Rapids, WI?

Tap water hardness
62mg/L
3.6gpg
Moderately hardReports range 38–62

Reported by Wis Rapids Water Works & Lighting Comm · August 2022

WI typical
170 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Wisconsin Rapids has about 62 mg/L of hardness, which is 3.6 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Wis Rapids Water Works & Lighting Comm, dated August 2022. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 38 to 62 mg/L.

Wisconsin Rapids on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+WI typical 170Wausau: 32 mg/LWausau 32Rib Mountain: 90 mg/LRib Mountain 90Weston: 136 mg/LWeston 136Kronenwetter: 150 mg/LKronenwetter 150Rothschild: 157 mg/LRothschild 157Stevens Point: 173 mg/LStevens Point 173Berlin: 204 mg/LBerlin 204Marshfield: 249 mg/LMarshfield 249Plover: 260 mg/LPlover 260New London: 279 mg/LNew London 279Wisconsin Rapids 62mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+WI 170Rib Mountain: 90 mg/LRib Mounta. 90Kronenwetter: 150 mg/LKronenwett. 150Rothschild: 157 mg/LRothschild 157Stevens Point: 173 mg/LStevens Po. 173Marshfield: 249 mg/LMarshfield 249Plover: 260 mg/LPlover 26062 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 62 mg/L, Wisconsin Rapids is 108 mg/L below the typical Wisconsin figure of 170. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 32 mg/L in Wausau to 279 in New London.

What 62 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 Wisconsin Rapids

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.6 gpg = 819 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 29 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Wisconsin Rapids's water system

Wis Rapids Water Works & Lighting Comm · PWSID WI7720108

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 20,000 people from groundwater.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

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 Wisconsin Rapids water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 62 mg/L (3.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Wisconsin Rapids in grains per gallon?

About 3.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 62 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.6.

What size water softener do I need in Wisconsin Rapids?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.6 gpg works out to about 819 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 29 days.

Has the Wisconsin Rapids water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Wis Rapids Water Works & Lighting Comm since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 112 cities in Wisconsin

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 19, 2022), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.