State water index

West Virginia water hardness

Search 179 indexed communities and 219 ZIP profiles, then compare the underlying utility, source, distance, and reporting context.

Median indexed hardness

141PPM

Hard

Indexed range 85.5–265 PPM

ZIP profiles: 219
Cities: 179
Matched utilities: 284
Counties: 52

Understanding West Virginia

Why local comparisons matter here

West Virginia's Appalachian ridges, valleys, plateaus, mine-influenced watersheds, rivers, and fractured bedrock create strongly local water settings.

In this index, hard is the largest category, covering 125 of 219 profiles with hardness data. The state median is 141 PPM, but the full indexed range is 85.5–265 PPM.

State distribution

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

Counts describe published ZIP profiles, not a population-weighted statewide sample.

Soft · 0–60 PPM0

Moderately hard · 61–120 PPM52

Hard · 121–180 PPM125

Very hard · 181+ PPM42

Evidence coverage

What the current records support

Hardness estimate: 100%
Lead 90th percentile: 99%
Copper 90th percentile: 15%

Low-confidence hardness profiles

Nearest site more than 25 miles away

Reported source water

Utility source mix

Surface water: 189
Groundwater: 84
Groundwater influenced by surface water: 11

Highest medians

Hardest indexed cities

Lowest medians

Softest indexed cities

City directory

Explore West Virginia by city

Search by city or county, then sort by name, hardness, or ZIP coverage.

179 cities · 219 ZIP profiles

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County

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179 cities found

Page 1 of 8

Albright

Preston County · 1 ZIP

147PPM

County	Median	Range	ZIP profiles
Pendleton County	231 PPM	229–233	2
Randolph County	230 PPM	152–242	6
Ritchie County	228 PPM	224.5–232	3
Hardy County	228 PPM	222.5–235	3
Grant County	228 PPM	228–228	1
Tucker County	221 PPM	217–224	5
Mineral County	217 PPM	174.5–265	5
Doddridge County	214 PPM	203.5–224.5	2
Marion County	191 PPM	170.5–193	5
Wood County	180 PPM	115–236	6
Harrison County	180 PPM	115–219	10
Hampshire County	177 PPM	105–215.5	4

Why local comparisons matter here

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

What the current records support

Utility source mix

Hardest indexed cities

Softest indexed cities

Explore West Virginia by city

Albright

Alderson

Alum Creek

Anmoore

Arthurdale

Athens

Bartley

Beaver

Beckley

Beech Bottom

Belington

Belmont

Belva

Benwood

Berwind

Birch River

Bluefield

Bradshaw

Brandywine

Brenton

Bridgeport

Buckhannon

Burlington

Burnsville

Highest indexed county medians