How hard is the water in Clayton, AL?

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 137.5 ppm (8 grains per gallon), classified as hard. This is not a tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener in ZIP code 36016?

At 137.5 ppm, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale buildup and hard-water spotting. Treatment for hardness does not remove all health-related contaminants.

Local water dashboard

Official source aggregation

Water quality in Clayton, AL 36016

Q: Is tap water safe in Clayton?

EPA SDWIS shows no active health-based violation in this profile's reporting window. That is not the same as proving every contaminant is absent, and federal data can lag state and utility records.

A source-transparent look at local hardness, associated public water systems, EPA compliance history, and the measurements that are—and are not—available for Barbour County.

1 reported benchmark flag

Primary matched system: Clayton Water Works & Sewer
Source water: Groundwater
County: Barbour County
Profile updated: May 18, 2026

At a glance

What the current records say

EPA quarter 2026Q2

Hardness

Hard

137.5 PPM · 8 GPG

Compliance screen

No active flag

0 active health-based records

Lead 90th percentile

0 mg/L

0% of action level

Utility match

3 systems

Serves 2,064 people system-wide

Hardness meter

How hard is the water?

Hard

Estimated local hardness

USGS hardness classification scale

137.5 PPM

Soft
0–59Moderate
60–120Hard
121–180Very hard
181+

Parts per million

137.5

mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalent

Grains per gallon

1 GPG ≈ 17.1 PPM

What this means at home

At 137.5 PPM, mineral scale can build up on fixtures and heating elements, reduce soap lather, and leave visible spotting. Hardness is primarily an aesthetic and appliance concern—not itself a tap-water safety rating.

USGS sites used

Nearest site

31.5 mi

Observation range

Jun 24, 2019–Dec 15, 2025

Estimate confidence

Low

Median of the latest qualifying hardness observation at each nearby monitoring site. Nearest monitoring location: Well NAWQA FLH 23 Bullock County Al (Well).USGS source documentation ↗

Regional context

Is 36016 typical?

These comparisons use other indexed ZIP estimates, not utility tap samples. They help show local context without replacing a household test.

Clayton median

138 PPM

About the same

1 indexed ZIP readings · Range 137.5–137.5 PPM

Alabama median

38 PPM

100 PPM higher

406 indexed ZIP readings · Range 7.4–2810 PPM

EPA benchmark screen

Contaminant snapshot

Available numerical results from associated SDWIS community water systems, compared with the applicable action level or federal MCL. Federal measured-value coverage is incomplete.

1 pass1 fail

Lead (PB90)

0 mg/L

Reported Dec 31, 2026

Copper (CU90)

1.81 mg/L

Reported Jun 30, 2021

Numerical coverage

2 comparable results

Missing values remain blank; absence is not treated as a pass.

Lead (90th percentile)

Measured in mg/L

Pass

Local 0

EPA limit 0.015

Copper (90th percentile)

Measured in mg/L

Fail

Local 1.81

EPA limit 1.3

Share of EPA benchmark

100% line = listed limit

EPA SDWIS compliance

Reported violation history

Open EPA source documentation ↗

2026Q2

All records: 14
Health-based: 0
Active health-based: 0

Contaminant or rule	System	Status	Period
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Dec 1, 2024through Dec 31, 2024
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Nov 1, 2024through Nov 30, 2024
Public Notice	AL0000116	Resolved	Oct 1, 2024through Nov 20, 2024
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Jun 1, 2024through Jun 30, 2024
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Dec 1, 2023through Dec 31, 2023
Lead and Copper Rule	AL0000082	Resolved	Jul 1, 2023through Dec 9, 2024
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Dec 11, 2022through Dec 27, 2022
Public Notice	AL0000116	Resolved	May 11, 2022through Jun 28, 2022
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000087	Resolved	Apr 11, 2022through Apr 11, 2022
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Apr 11, 2022through Apr 11, 2022
Groundwater Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Sep 1, 2021through Sep 30, 2021
Lead and Copper Rule	AL0000082	Resolved	Jul 1, 2021through Nov 24, 2021
Revised Total Coliform Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Apr 1, 2021through Apr 30, 2021
Lead and Copper Rule	AL0000116	Resolved	Jan 1, 2021through Oct 10, 2024

No reported violation does not prove that every contaminant was tested or absent; SDWIS measured values are incomplete and lag state records.

Solutions matcher

Your personalized water action plan

Matched to Clayton ZIP 36016 using 137.5 PPM nearby hardness and 2 reported measurement benchmarks.

2 matches

Scale protection

High-Capacity Whole House Water Softener

137.5 PPM is 1× the high-hardness trigger used by this matcher.

Designed to reduce scale on fixtures, water heaters, glassware, and plumbing throughout the home.

Compare whole-house systems

Drinking water protection

Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis System

Copper (90th percentile) has a measured benchmark flag or active health-based SDWIS record in this profile.

A certified multi-stage RO system targets a broader range of dissolved contaminants at the kitchen tap.

Explore under-sink filtration

Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, at no added cost to you. Product matching is educational and does not replace certified water testing.

Frequently asked

Water questions for Clayton

Is tap water safe in Clayton?+

EPA ECHO shows no active health-based violation for the associated systems in this reporting snapshot. This does not prove every contaminant is absent; federal records can lag and household plumbing can change tap conditions.

How hard is the water?+

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 137.5 PPM, or 8 grains per gallon, classified as hard. This is not a household tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener?+

At 137.5 PPM, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale and hard-water spotting. It does not replace contaminant filtration.