Water hardness, primarily signifying the concentration of dissolved substances such as calcium and magnesium, can exhibit significant variation across West Virginia. The state, nestled within the Appalachian region, often displays diverse water hardness levels, unlike territories such as the Midwest known to possess higher hardness levels.
Looking specifically at West Virginia, the hardness measurements gathered from various towns and cities indicate a tendency towards moderate to high hardness levels, compared to the national average. Consequently, West Virginia’s water is largely categorized under the ‘moderate to hard’ bracket. This characteristic holds significant implications in terms of the water’s taste and the effectiveness of cleaning agents like soaps and detergents. It should be noted that these hardness levels are subject to fluctuation and can change depending on local geological conditions and differences in water sources.
The cities evaluated in this dataset exhibit a wide range of hardness values in their water supplies, represented in Parts Per Million (ppm) and Grains Per Gallon (gpg). Cities like Charleston, Huntington, and Clarksburg have high hardness levels, exceeding 90 ppm, 5.26 gpg. Conversely, water hardness in South Charleston, Dunbar, and Nitro is on the lower side, less than 36 ppm, 2.1 gpg. Meanwhile, several cities, such as Parkersburg, Wheeling, and Martinsburg, have not provided any information regarding the hardness of their water supplies.
City | Hardness ppm (mg/L) | Hardness gpg | Information Source | Notes |
Charleston | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Took average of listed range |
Huntington | 103.0 | 6.0 | Link | Took average of listed range |
Parkersburg | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Morgantown | 88.6 | 5.2 | Link | Took average of listed range |
Wheeling | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Martinsburg | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Weirton | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Fairmont | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Beckley | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Clarksburg | 118.5 | 6.9 | Link | Took average of listed range |
South Charleston | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
St. Albans | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Vienna | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Bluefield | 140.0 | 8.5 | Link | Took average of listed range |
Bridgeport | 118.5 | 6.9 | Link | |
Oak Hill | 65.0 | 4.0 | Link | |
Moundsville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Dunbar | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
Hurricane | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Elkins | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Charles Town | 140.5 | 8.5 | Link | Took average of listed range |
Nitro | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Putnam County which sources from Charleston |
Princeton | 62.5 | 3.7 | Link | Via Zipcode lookup |
Ranson corporation | 140.5 | 8.5 | Link | Part of Charles Town |
Buckhannon | n/a | n/a | Link | |
New Martinsville | n/a | n/a | Unable to find | |
Keyser | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Grafton | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Barboursville | 103.0 | 6.0 | Link | Covered by Huntington per zip code lookup |
Westover | 88.6 | 5.2 | Link | Gets from Morgantown, per website |
Point Pleasant | n/a | n/a | Link | Got through County Website. |
Weston | 44.0 | 3.0 | Link | |
Lewisburg | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Ravenswood | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Pleasant Valley | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Summersville | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Kingwood | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Ripley | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Williamstown | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Kenova | 103.0 | 6.0 | Link | Covered by Huntington per zip code lookup |
Williamson | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Philippi | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Fayetteville | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Madison | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
Milton | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
Follansbee | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Bethlehem | n/a | n/a | Link | Purchases from Wheeling per US EPA search |
Moorefield | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Paden City | n/a | n/a | Link | City website is down and EPA search didn’t find the report |
Wellsburg | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Winfield | n/a | n/a | Link | Well water |
Shinnston | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Petersburg | n/a | n/a | Link | Report isn’t loaded on their website, it’s just a text block that says “insert report here”. Old reports also not there. |
Hinton | 62.5 | 3.7 | Link | Took average of range |
White Sulphur Springs | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Chester | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Spencer | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Mannington | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Welch | n/a | n/a | Link | |
St. Marys | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Star City | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Belington | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Stonewood | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Romney | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
McMechen | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Harrisville | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Richwood | n/a | n/a | Link | Actively delinquent on monitoring, per website |
Ronceverte | n/a | n/a | Link | Water Quality Report hasn’t been uploaded on city site |
West Liberty | 313.0 | 18.3 | Link | Found on this map, report from 2018 at West Liberty University |
Eleanor | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Putnam County, Kanawa Water District |
Terra Alta | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Shepherdstown | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Glen Dale | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Nutter Fort | 118.5 | 6.9 | Link | Purchases from Clarksburg |
Marmet | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
Salem | 118.5 | 6.9 | Link | |
New Haven | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Mullens | n/a | n/a | City doesn’t have dedicated website, EPA CCR search brough up nothing | |
Oceana | n/a | n/a | Link | No CCR on website |
Wayne | 103.0 | 6.0 | Link | Covered under Huntington per Zip Lookup |
Logan | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Ceredo | 103.0 | 6.0 | Link | Purchases from Kenova |
Granville | 88.6 | 5.2 | Link | Covered by Morgantown |
Sistersville | n/a | n/a | Link | No CCR on website |
Chesapeake | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
Mabscott | n/a | n/a | Link | Covered under Beckley |
Parsons | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Ansted | 65.0 | 4.0 | Link | Per Zip lookup |
Montgomery | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Per Zip lookup |
Benwood | n/a | n/a | Link | |
Buffalo | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Putnam County |
Barrackville | n/a | n/a | Link | Not on their website, or EPA CCR search |
Rainelle | n/a | n/a | Link | No specific CCR report, just a notice of violation of water quality standards on the town Facebook page, nothing on EPA CCR search either |
Belle | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Kanawa County |
Glenville | n/a | n/a | Link | Nothing in county document repository nor on EPA CCR search |
Sophia | n/a | n/a | Link | Covered under Raleigh County per EPA CCR search, purchases from Beckley |
Mount Hope | n/a | n/a | Link | Only has alkalinity |
Pennsboro | 146.0 | 8.5 | Link | Grabbed most recent record for Pennsboro from this map (2016) |
Bolivar | n/a | n/a | Link | Covered by Harper’s Ferry |
Hamlin | 36.0 | 2.1 | Link | Part of Charleson Water/Lincoln County |
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.