Hardness
Very Hard
274 PPM · 16 GPG
Local water dashboard
Official source aggregationWater quality in Muscatine, IA 52761
A source-transparent look at local hardness, associated public water systems, EPA compliance history, and the measurements that are—and are not—available for Muscatine County.
1 reported benchmark flag
- Primary matched system
- Muscatine Power & Water
- Source water
- Groundwater
- County
- Muscatine County
- Profile updated
At a glance
What the current records say
EPA quarter 2026Q2
Compliance screen
No active flag
0 active health-based records
Lead 90th percentile
0.003 mg/L
20% of action level
Utility match
10 systems
Serves 25,516 people system-wide
Hardness meter
How hard is the water?
Estimated local hardness
USGS hardness classification scale
274 PPM
Soft
0–59Moderate
60–120Hard
121–180Very hard
181+
0–59Moderate
60–120Hard
121–180Very hard
181+
Parts per million
274
mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalent
Grains per gallon
16
1 GPG ≈ 17.1 PPM
What this means at home
At 274 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
57
Nearest site
7 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: 077N03W22BBBB 1997NAWQA (Well).USGS source documentation ↗
Regional context
Is 52761 typical?
These comparisons use other indexed ZIP estimates, not utility tap samples. They help show local context without replacing a household test.
Muscatine median
274 PPM
About the same1 indexed ZIP readings · Range 274–274 PPM
Iowa median
281 PPM
7 PPM lower721 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)
0.003 mg/L
Reported Dec 31, 2025
Copper (CU90)
1.8 mg/L
Reported Dec 31, 2006
Numerical coverage
2 comparable results
Missing values remain blank; absence is not treated as a pass.
Lead (90th percentile)
Measured in mg/L
Local 0.003
EPA limit 0.015
Copper (90th percentile)
Measured in mg/L
Local 1.8
EPA limit 1.3
Share of EPA benchmark
100% line = listed limit
2026Q2
- All records
- 27
- Health-based
- 0
- Active health-based
- 0
| Contaminant or rule | System | Status | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | IA7000689 | Resolved | Dec 1, 2025through Dec 31, 2025 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | IA7048310 | Unaddressed | Jul 1, 2025 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | IA7000601 | Unaddressed | Jan 1, 2025 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | IA7000686 | Resolved | Jan 1, 2025through Mar 18, 2025 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | IA7000600 | Resolved | Jul 1, 2024through Jun 11, 2025 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | IA7048601 | Resolved | Jul 1, 2024through Jul 1, 2025 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | IA7000601 | Unaddressed | Jun 1, 2024 |
| Public Notice | IA7048319 | Resolved | Oct 24, 2023through Dec 20, 2023 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | IA7048319 | Resolved | Oct 1, 2023through Oct 31, 2023 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | IA7048319 | Resolved | Sep 1, 2023through Sep 30, 2023 |
| E. COLI | IA7000689 | Resolved | Aug 28, 2023through Sep 12, 2023 |
| Public Notice | IA7048319 | Resolved | Jul 24, 2023through Dec 20, 2023 |
| Consumer Confidence Rule | IA7048319 | Resolved | Jul 1, 2023through Jul 3, 2024 |
| Public Notice | IA7048319 | Resolved | Jun 20, 2023through Dec 20, 2023 |
| E. COLI | IA7048319 | Unaddressed | Jun 6, 2023 |
| Lead and Copper Rule | IA7048319 | Unaddressed | Jun 1, 2023 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | IA7048319 | Resolved | Jun 1, 2023through Jun 7, 2023 |
| Public Notice | IA7048319 | Resolved | May 21, 2023through Jun 30, 2023 |
| Public Notice | IA7048319 | Resolved | Apr 24, 2023through Dec 20, 2023 |
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | IA7048319 | Resolved | Apr 1, 2023through Apr 30, 2023 |
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 Muscatine ZIP 52761 using 274 PPM nearby hardness and 2 reported measurement benchmarks.
Scale protection
High-Capacity Whole House Water Softener
274 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 systemsDrinking 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 filtrationAffiliate 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 Muscatine
Is tap water safe in Muscatine?+
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 274 PPM, or 16 grains per gallon, classified as very hard. This is not a household tap measurement.
Do I need a water softener?+
At 274 PPM, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale and hard-water spotting. It does not replace contaminant filtration.