Water Hardness by City: Official Utility Figures for the US
Official figures from each city’s water utility, with the softener setting for each, why cities differ and how to find the figure for any city.
Hardness by City
Water hardness changes from one city, and sometimes one neighborhood, to the next. Each city page here uses the figure published in the local utility’s latest water quality report, with a link to the report and its date, then turns it into practical settings for a water softener, dishwasher or kettle.
We add a city only after checking its official report, and we update the pages when utilities publish new data each year.
San Antonio Water Hardness: 15–20 gpg, Softener Setting and Salt
SAWS puts San Antonio’s water at 15–20 gpg, very hard on the USGS scale. Why, what to set a softener to, sizes, salt use and how to handle the scale.
Austin Water Hardness: 5.4 gpg Average, Softener Setting and Salt
Austin’s tap water averaged 93 ppm (5.4 gpg) in 2025, range 70–126 ppm. Why it’s softer than the rest of Texas, what to set a softener to and salt use.
Las Vegas Water Hardness: 16 gpg, Softener Setting and Salt Use
Las Vegas tap water is 280 ppm, or 16 gpg, per the LVVWD’s 2026 report. What to set your softener to, which size you need and how much salt it uses.
