Is tap water safe in Gainesville?

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.

How hard is the water in Gainesville, TX?

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 115 ppm (6.7 grains per gallon), classified as moderately hard. This is not a tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener in ZIP code 76240?

There is no high-hardness trigger in this profile. Confirm conditions with an at-home hardness test before purchasing equipment.

City water profile

Gainesville water quality

Compare local ZIP estimates, evidence quality, associated public systems, and compliance history for Gainesville, Texas.

Median indexed hardness

115PPM

2 indexed ZIPs

Range 115–115 PPM

State comparison: 4 PPM above
State hardness rank: #298 of 523
Matched utilities: 1
Active health records: 0

City summary

What the indexed records say

Gainesville has 2 published ZIP profiles across Cooke County. The indexed median is 115 PPM, compared with 111 PPM across Texas.

Among the 523 Texascities with an indexed median, Gainesville ranks #298from highest to lowest. Across all 1,026 state ZIP profiles, available estimates run from 5.4to 500.5 PPM.

The 115–115 PPM range shows how much the available ZIP estimates vary within the city label.

Hardness distribution

How local ZIP estimates compare

Soft0 ZIPs

Moderately hard2 ZIPs

Hard0 ZIPs

Very hard0 ZIPs

2 of 2 ZIP profiles have a hardness estimate. Bars count ZIP profiles, not households or laboratory samples.

Evidence quality

Distance, dates, and confidence

Median nearest distance: 10.9 miles
Profiles with evidence: 2/2

Confidence labels

High: 0Moderate: 2Low: 0

Observation window: Jan 5, 2016 to Jun 2, 2026.

ZIP directory

Water reports in Gainesville

Open a ZIP for site-level provenance and measurements.

ZIP code

76240

Moderately Hard

115 PPM

Nearest site: 10.9 mi
Confidence: Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

ZIP code

76241

Moderately Hard

115 PPM

Nearest site: 10.4 mi
Confidence: Moderate

View full ZIP evidence →

Public water systems

Utilities associated with this city

City Of Gainesville

PWSID TX0490001

Surface water

System population served: 18,107
Last reported: Jun 26, 2026

A municipal system, in-state city, and served county all agree with this Census ZCTA.

Compliance history

What EPA records show

No active health-based violation appears among the associated systems in the represented EPA reporting quarter. This does not mean every contaminant was tested at every tap.

No violation records are included in the current lookback window.

Practical next steps

Move from index to evidence

1. Open your ZIP. Check distance, dates, confidence, and the associated utility.
2. Read the current CCR. Confirm source water, detections, limits, ranges, and notices.
3. Test the tap when needed. Confirm health concerns or treatment sizing with the right method.

Continue comparing

Other Texas communities

Lindsay

Cooke County

9 PPM median

Muenster

Cooke County

9 PPM median

Valley View

Cooke County

9 PPM median

Decatur

Wise County

115 PPM median

Groesbeck

Limestone County

115 PPM median

Waxahachie

Ellis County

116 PPM median

Search all 529 Texas cities →

Questions people ask

About water in Gainesville

Is the water hard?

The indexed city median is 115 PPM. Open the ZIP report to verify the distance and confidence behind that estimate.

Is the tap water safe?

Compliance history is utility-wide and cannot guarantee conditions at every tap. Check current notices and test when address-specific evidence is needed.

Do I need treatment?

Choose treatment only after confirming the problem at the property. A softener targets hardness; contaminant treatment requires a matching, verified performance claim.