Water hardness, essentially the concentration of dissolved materials like calcium and magnesium, can range dramatically throughout the United States. The heartland states, including Indiana, frequently contend with high water hardness levels, while coastal regions usually enjoy gentler, softer water.
Focusing on Indiana, the specific hardness metrics derived from a multitude of cities suggest a significant leaning toward the extreme end of the hardness scale, in relation to the national average. Therefore, Indiana’s water is in the ‘hard to very hard’ category. Such a characteristic plays an impacting role in aspects such as the water’s flavor and the efficacy of cleaning agents like detergents and soaps. Notably, these hardness levels can show variance and are susceptible to modification considering local geological conditions and variations in water sources.
The examined cities in this dataset display various hardness levels in their water supply, measured in parts per million (ppm) and grains per gallon (gpg). Some cities, like Noblesville, Lafayette, Muncie, Greenwood, Kokomo, Westfield, and Wabash, have particularly high hardness levels, exceeding 300 ppm (17.53 gpg). On the lower end, cities like Angola, Fort Wayne, and New Haven show hardness levels below 130 ppm (7.59 gpg). Many cities, including South Bend, Fishers, Bloomington, Hammond, Anderson, and several others, do not provide data for water hardness.
City | Hardness PPM (mg/L) | Hardness gpg | Information Source | Notes |
Indianapolis | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | Covers Indy and all Morgan County Cities |
Fort Wayne | 122.00 | 7.12 | Link | |
Evansville | 132.00 | 7.70 | Link | |
South Bend | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Fishers | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Carmel | 137.10 | 8.00 | Link | |
Bloomington | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Hammond | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Noblesville | 400.00 | 23.34 | Link | |
Lafayette | 351.32 | 20.50 | Link | Site gives range, took median |
Gary | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Took median of the range |
Muncie | 344.00 | 20.07 | Link | |
Greenwood | 371.00 | 21.65 | Link | Part of Johnson County water report |
Kokomo | 375.00 | 21.88 | Link | |
Terre Haute | 344.00 | 20.07 | Link | |
Anderson | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Elkhart | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Mishawaka | 325.61 | 19.00 | Link | |
Westfield | 387.00 | 22.58 | Link | |
Columbus | 314.00 | 18.40 | Link | |
Jeffersonville | 191.00 | 11.15 | Link | |
Lawrence | n/a | n/a | Link | |
West Lafayette | 333.00 | 19.43 | Link | |
Portage | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
New Albany | 191.00 | 11.15 | Link | Part of Jeffersonville report |
Merrillville | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Richmond | 259.00 | 15.11 | Link | |
Plainfield | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Goshen | 342.75 | 20.00 | Link | |
Crown Point | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Valparaiso | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Michigan City | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Zionsville | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | Covered under Indianapolis (near where I865 and US421 intersect) |
Brownsburg | 280.00 | 16.34 | Link | Took median of provided range |
Schererville | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Hobart | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Marion | n/a | n/a | Link | |
East Chicago | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Franklin | 371.00 | 21.65 | Link | Part of Johnson County water report |
Greenfield | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Munster | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Highland | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Avon | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | Covered under Indianapolis (near intersection of 267 and US36) |
La Porte | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Clarksville | 191.00 | 11.15 | Link | Part of Jeffersonville report |
Seymour | 236.00 | 13.77 | Link | |
St. John | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Shelbyville | 371.00 | 21.65 | Link | Part of Johnson County water report |
Logansport | n/a | n/a | Link | |
New Castle | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Huntington | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Lebanon | 157.00 | 9.16 | Link | |
Jasper | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Frankfort | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Vincennes | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Dyer | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Crawfordsville | 411.00 | 23.98 | Link | |
Griffith | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Warsaw | 361.00 | 21.06 | Link | |
New Haven | 126.00 | 7.35 | Link | |
Cedar Lake | n/a | n/a | Link | Provides East and West Side reports, neither has info on hardness |
Beech Grove | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | Covered under Indianapolis (near where I65 intersects with the I465 beltway) |
Chesterton | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Bedford | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Speedway | 250.00 | 14.60 | Link | |
Auburn | n/a | n/a | Link | None of the reports mention hardness |
Connersville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Lake Station | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Madison | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Greensburg | 325.61 | 19.00 | Link | |
Washington | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Martinsville | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | Covers Indy and all Morgan County Cities |
Yorktown | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Peru | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Whitestown | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | |
Lowell | 175.00 | 10.21 | Link | |
Danville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Plymouth | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Wabash | 414.00 | 24.16 | Link | |
Bluffton | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Bargersville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Kendallville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Columbia City | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Greencastle | 187.00 | 10.90 | Link | |
Decatur | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Mooresville | 419.00 | 24.45 | Link | |
Sellersburg | n/a | n/a | Link | |
McCordsville | 314.00 | 18.32 | Link | Covered under Indianapolis (immediately west of where 234 and 36 intersect) |
Huntertown | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Angola | 85.69 | 5.00 | Link | Their water treatment process softens it to 5gpg |
Elwood | n/a | n/a | Link | City doesn’t appear to provide Water CCRs, and doesn’t seem to be covered by Indianapolis, Kokomo, or Anderson which are the nearest big cities. |
Princeton | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Brazil | 308.48 | 18.00 | Link | Took median of listed range |
Charlestown | 203.00 | 11.85 | Link | |
Tell City | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Winfield | 145.00 | 8.46 | Link | Part of Greater Gary Area report |
Scottsburg | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Batesville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Nappanee | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Boonville | n/a | n/a | Link |
ppm = Parts Per Million
mg/L = Milligrams Per Liter
gpg = Grains Per Gallon
Hard water can cause issues such as mineral buildup in plumbing and appliances, reduce the efficacy of soaps and detergents, and affect the taste of the water. A tried and true solution is the use of a water softener. A water softener, like the ones from DROP, could be a worthwhile investment.
These devices work by replacing the calcium and magnesium ions that cause hardness with sodium ions, resulting in softer water. With innovative features, easy installation, and efficient operation, DROP smart water softeners provide a solution to hard water issues, extending the lifespan of appliances, improving water taste, enhancing soap effectiveness, reducing scale build-up, and increasing the overall water efficiency in your home.