Water hardness generally refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water. These levels can vary significantly across the United States, with the Midwest states commonly experiencing harder water and coastal states experiencing softer water.
The hardness level in Ohio, as evident from the specific values extracted from various cities, tend to fall on the higher end of the scale when compared to the national average, hence the water can be categorized as ‘hard to very hard.’ It’s a quality characteristic that can influence factors like taste and the effectiveness of soaps and detergents. Water hardness levels can fluctuate and are subject to change due to reasons such as local geology and source of water.
The water hardness levels in the state of Ohio show considerable variation across different cities, with measurements given in parts per million (ppm) and grains per gallon (gpg). Cities such as Columbus, Cincinnati, and Youngstown have a hardness level of 120ppm and 7gpg. In contrast, Toledo and Perrysburg show significantly lower levels at 17.1ppm and 1gpg. Meanwhile, cities like Dayton and Kettering have higher concentrations of hardness reaching 155ppm and 9gpg, and 157ppm and 9gpg, respectively. It is also notable that the highest water hardness level measured in Lancaster and Oxford, amounted to above 340ppm and 20gpg. However, several cities, including Canton, Lorain, Hamilton, and others did not have available data.
City | Hardness ppm (mg/L) | Hardness gpg | Information Source | Notes |
Columbus | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | |
Cleveland | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | |
Cincinnati | 128ppm | 7gpg | Link | Two plants, one with 122ppm other with 134ppm, took average |
Toledo | 17.1ppm | 1gpg | Link | Had to convert from grain/gallon to ppm here. 2020 data was latest I found, looks like they stopped including it in reports in 2021 |
Akron | 106ppm | 6gpg | Link | Latest info I found was from 2020 |
Dayton | 155ppm | 9gpg | Link | |
Parma | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Canton | n/a | n/a | Link | No water report in last 5 years provides a specific measure of hardness. |
Lorain | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in city water report. Does pull from Lake Erie, so may be the same/similar as Cleveland but cannot confirm |
Hamilton | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in city water report. |
Youngstown | 120ppm | 6.9gpg | Link | Youngstown sources water from Meader Valley |
Springfield | 148ppm | 8.7gpg | Link | Listed as 337.43ppm/19.73gpg before city treats it down to 148/8.7 |
Kettering | 157ppm | 9gpg | Link | |
Elyria | n/a | n/a | Link | Water quality reports don’t include hardness. |
Middletown | n/a | n/a | Link | Water quality reports don’t include hardness. |
Cuyahoga Falls | 170ppm | 10gpg | Link | Document gives range of 160-180ppm, used calculation to convert to gpg |
Newark | 118ppm | 6.9gpg | Link | Calculated gpg based on ppm |
Lakewood | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Dublin | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Included in Columbus Water Quality Report, per linked source |
Euclid | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Mansfield | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in city water report |
Mentor | n/a | n/a | Link | Document was a dead link when I tried to connect 9/13 |
Beavercreek | n/a | n/a | Link | Greene County Water Report doesn’t include hardness |
Strongsville | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Cleveland Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Fairfield | 130ppm | 7.6gpg | Link | |
Huber Heights | n/a | n/a | Link | Neither the Consumer Confidence nor the Water Integrity study have hardness measures |
Delaware | 130ppm | 7.5gpg | Link | Used the midpoints of ranges provided |
Grove City | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Provided by Columbus water works |
Reynoldsburg | 106.5ppm | 6.2gpg | Link | Took average value of city’s two treatment plants |
Lancaster | 344.33ppm | 20.1gpg | Link | Measured as CCPP in this linked document. |
Findlay | n/a | n/a | Link | Annual reports don’t include hardness |
Warren | n/a | n/a | Link | Annual reports don’t include hardness |
Westerville | 110ppm | 6.4gpg | Link | |
Hilliard | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Included in Columbus Water Quality Report, per linked source |
Upper Arlington | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Included in Columbus Water Quality Report, per linked source |
North Ridgeville | n/a | n/a | Link | Annual reports don’t include hardness |
Lima | n/a | n/a | Link | Linked source says they soften water at treatment plants but don’t list goal. Also not listed in consumer report PDFs on same page. |
Marion | 144ppm | 8.4gpg | Link | Newest source I could find is 2012, also calculated gpg based on ppm |
Gahanna | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Included in Columbus Water Quality Report, per linked source |
Brunswick | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Mason | 128ppm | 7gpg | Link | Service provided by Greater Cincinnati Water Works per linked source, so used the avg numbers for Cincy here. |
Fairborn | n/a | n/a | Link | None of the water quality reports from last 3 years include hardness |
Stow | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Calculated the ppm based on the gpg provided in report |
Westlake | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Massillon | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
North Olmsted | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
North Royalton | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Bowling Green | n/a | n/a | Link | Not listed in consumer report, but there is a contact for someone in charge of unregulated contaminants which may include hardness (pg 4 of linked doc) |
Garfield Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Shaker Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Kent | 90ppm | 5.3gpg | Link | 317ppm unfiltered, calculated gpg |
Green | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
Wooster | 101ppm | 5.9gpg | Link | Calculated gpg based on ppm |
Troy | 115ppm | 6.7gpg | Link | Calculated gpg based on ppm |
Marysville | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
Medina | n/a | n/a | Link | Purchases from Avon which doesn’t include hardness in consumer confidence report |
Avon Lake | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
Xenia | n/a | n/a | Link | Greene County Water Report doesn’t include hardness |
Avon | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
Perrysburg | 17.1ppm | 1gpg | Link | Sources from Toledo per linked document |
Barberton | 137ppm | 8gpg | Link | 2021 Report |
Sandusky | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report, most recent I could find was 2019. Sources from Lake Erie |
Centerville | 157ppm | 9gpg | Link | Part of Montgomery County/Dayton city water. |
Zanesville | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
Riverside | 157ppm | 9gpg | Link | Part of Montgomery County/Dayton city water. |
Athens | 144ppm | 8.4gpg | Link | |
Wadsworth | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report, although it does mention they do test for it, no number provided |
Pickerington | 200ppm | 11.7gpg | Link | Very old (2010) information, not listed in more recent consumer reports |
Solon | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Willoughby | n/a | n/a | Link | Hardness not listed, but pulls from Lake Erie and is right by Cleveland, so may be same/similar. |
Maple Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Hudson | 130ppm | 7.6gpg | Link | Softened from nearly 500ppm per linked source |
Trotwood | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in either water quality assessment on city public works site |
Oxford | 350ppm | 20.5gpg | Link | |
Chillicothe | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in consumer confidence report |
Alliance | 150ppm | 8.8gpg | Link | Old document, but most recent listed on city website (from 2010) |
South Euclid | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Rocky River | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Lebanon | 128ppm | 7gpg | Link | Purchases from Cincinnati, so used those numbers. |
Painesville | 119ppm | 6.9gpg | Link | |
Parma Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Piqua | 252ppm | 14.7gpg | Link | Report from city website is from 2011 |
Sidney | 113.17ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | |
Whitehall | 120ppm | 7gpg | Link | Columbus provides water to Whitehall per linked article |
Mayfield Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Forest Park | 128ppm | 7gpg | Link | Purchases water from Cincinnati |
Oregon | n/a | n/a | Link | Hardness not included in city water quality report |
Miamisburg | 137ppm | 8gpg | Link | |
Broadview Heights | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Twinsburg | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Ashland | n/a | n/a | Link | Hardness not included in city water quality report |
Springboro | n/a | n/a | Link | Hardness not included in city water quality report |
Sylvania | 17.1ppm | 1gpg | Link | Purchases from City of Toledo, per linked document |
Norwood | 128ppm | 7gpg | Link | Purchases treated water from Greater Cincinnati Water Works |
Berea | n/a | n/a | Link | Not included in city water quality report |
Niles | 120ppm | 6.9gpg | Link | Niles Water sourced from Meader Valley |
Brook Park | 113ppm | 6.6gpg | Link | Included in Cleveland Water Quality Report which covers 80 communities. |
Tallmadge | 112ppm | 7gpg | Link | Both ppm and gpg are listed in the linked doc, looks as though the gpg was rounded up in the document. |
Pataskala | 110ppm | 6.4gpg | Link | Took median of range listed in document |
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.