How hard is the water in Hiawatha, IA?

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 267 ppm (15.6 grains per gallon), classified as very hard. This is not a tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener in ZIP code 52233?

At 267 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 Hiawatha, IA 52233

Q: Is tap water safe in Hiawatha?

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 Linn County.

1 reported benchmark flag

Primary matched system: Hiawatha Water Dept
Source water: Groundwater
County: Linn County
Profile updated: Jun 17, 2026

At a glance

What the current records say

EPA quarter 2026Q2

Hardness

Very Hard

267 PPM · 15.6 GPG

Compliance screen

No active flag

0 active health-based records

Lead 90th percentile

0 mg/L

0% of action level

Utility match

2 systems

Serves 7,183 people system-wide

Hardness meter

How hard is the water?

Very Hard

Estimated local hardness

USGS hardness classification scale

267 PPM

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

Parts per million

267

mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalent

Grains per gallon

15.6

1 GPG ≈ 17.1 PPM

What this means at home

At 267 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

2.9 mi

Observation range

Feb 9, 2016–Mar 3, 2026

Estimate confidence

Moderate

Median of the latest qualifying hardness observation at each nearby monitoring site. Nearest monitoring location: 083N07W07DDBD 1993USGS CRM-11 (Well).USGS source documentation ↗

Regional context

Is 52233 typical?

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

Hiawatha median

264 PPM

About the same

2 indexed ZIP readings · Range 260–267 PPM

Iowa median

281 PPM

14 PPM lower

721 indexed ZIP readings · Range 182–834 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, 2025

Copper (CU90)

1.5 mg/L

Reported Dec 31, 2002

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 1.5

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: 10
Health-based: 0
Active health-based: 0

Contaminant or rule	System	Status	Period
Lead and Copper Rule	IA5784307	Resolved	Dec 1, 2025through Feb 2, 2026
Public Notice	IA5784307	Resolved	May 13, 2023through Jul 3, 2023
Lead and Copper Rule	IA5784307	Resolved	Dec 1, 2022through Nov 9, 2023
Public Notice	IA5784307	Resolved	Oct 12, 2022through Jun 30, 2022
TTHM	IA5784307	Resolved	Aug 1, 2022through Aug 31, 2022
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	IA5784307	Resolved	Aug 1, 2022through Aug 31, 2022
Public Notice	IA5784307	Resolved	Jul 13, 2022through Jun 30, 2022
Consumer Confidence Rule	IA5784307	Resolved	Jul 1, 2022through Jul 3, 2023
Public Notice	IA5784307	Resolved	May 22, 2022through Jun 30, 2022
Lead and Copper Rule	IA5784307	Unaddressed	Dec 1, 2019

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 Hiawatha ZIP 52233 using 267 PPM nearby hardness and 2 reported measurement benchmarks.

2 matches

Scale protection

High-Capacity Whole House Water Softener

267 PPM is 2× 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.

Nearby indexed reports

Compare ZIPs in Hiawatha

Estimates can differ across a city because monitoring locations and associated systems differ.

View all Hiawatha reports →

ZIP 52341

Very Hard

260PPM

Frequently asked

Water questions for Hiawatha

Is tap water safe in Hiawatha?+

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 267 PPM, or 15.6 grains per gallon, classified as very hard. This is not a household tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener?+

At 267 PPM, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale and hard-water spotting. It does not replace contaminant filtration.