Hard water is an issue for residents of Central Indiana. Water is considered “hard” when it has high levels of dissolved calcium, magnesium, and iron salts. Water in Indiana is considered “very hard” because of the natural deposits of these minerals.
Typically, Central Indiana water has levels of calcium carbonate—the term used to express water hardness—ranging from 200-350 milligrams per liter, or parts per million. This translates to about 12-20 grains per gallon (gpg), the measure often referred to in determining water softener settings.
Hard water is unpleasant for many reasons—using more soaps and detergents, dingy appearance on clothes, stains and scale buildup on appliances, sinks, and tubs, and even boiler scale that causes higher utility usage and bills.
How hard is the water in your home? Request a custom analysis on the water hardness in your home. Our water experts will provide an analysis and review of your best hard water treatment options.
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Minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium are the minerals that cause hard water. They are dissolved in your water. Hard water has unpleasant and unwanted effects on your home and health.
If you live in any of these Central Indiana locations, you have hard water. Understand your options, and get a water softener that will take care of your hard water problem so your household has healthy water. Get the affordable water treatment equipment you need to soften hard water in your home.
Because it is costly and the EPA considered water hardness a secondary contaminant, most municipalities don’t soften their public water before sending it to their customers.
Zip codes: 46011, 46012, 46013, 46016, 46017, 46018
Anderson, Indiana, is provided with public water by Anderson Water Utility. Deep groundwater supply wells supply Anderson’s water source: Their wells draw from the aquifer in the Indian Creek in Lafayette Township and the White River and Killbuck Creek area. Because it is not softened at the source, Anderson’s water has an average hardness just above 23 gpg for city water and private water wells.
Zip code: 46123
The Town of Avon is located five miles west of Indianapolis in Hendricks County, and in 2019 the estimated population was 18,706. Avon was the first Tree City USA Community in Hendricks County and prides itself in preserving the natural environment. Citizens Water Company provides Avon’s public water services and, because the water is not softened at the source, the average hardness for city water and private water wells is 15 gpg.
Zip code: 46106
Bargersville is a town in White River and Union townships, Johnson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,026 at the 2020 census. Bargersville Water Utility currently serves approximately 13,000 customers in the Bargersville, Greenwood, and Franklin area of White River and Union Township of Johnson County, Indiana. The town has two water plants, and the current design capacity is 11 million gallons a day. The average daily production is 6.5 million gallons a day. Bargersville drinking water source is supplied from two well fields that draw water from the White River Basin. All eight of the community’s wells withdraw water from a sand and gravel aquifer. Bargersville Water Utility uses a fluidized bed reactor to reduce the calcium and iron buildup the water hardness averages around 8-10 gpg.
Zip code: 46107
Beech Grove is a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city’s population is 14,987. Although geographically surrounded by Indianapolis, Beech Grove is an excluded city, so it maintains its own police, fire, public works, and parks departments. Citizens Water Company provides Beech Grove’s public water services. Because the water is not softened at the source, the average hardness for city water and private water wells is 15 gpg.
Zip code: 46208
Broad Ripple is a neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a population of 8,100. Broad Ripple is in Marion County and is one of the best places to live in Indiana. Living in Broad Ripple offers residents a dense suburban feel, and most residents own their homes. Citizens Water Company provides Broad Ripple’s public water services and, because the water is not softened at the source, the average hardness for city water and private water wells is 15gpg.
Zip code: 46112
City drinking water comes from groundwater pumped from eight wells drawing water from the White River Basin and the purchase of approximately 400,000 gallons per day from Citizens Energy Group. Average Hardness for city and well water in Brownsburg is 17gpg.
Zip codes: 46032, 46033
Carmel Utilities softens water to within 5 grains of hardness prior to distribution. The hardness of the water may vary especially in times of high demand. If you were a previous Indianapolis Water Customer, and have not yet been converted to Carmel Water, the water you receive still comes from Indianapolis Water and has not been softened. Private water wells in Carmel average around 8gpg.
Zip codes: 46250, 46256
Castleton is a neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a population of 10,998. Castleton is in Marion County and is one of the best places to live in Indiana. Living in Castleton offers residents an urban-suburban mixed feel, and most residents rent their homes. In Castleton, there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Citizens Water Company provides Castleton’s public water services and, because the water is not softened at the source, the average hardness for city water and private water wells is 15gpg.
Zip code: 46034
The Town of Cicero surrounds the upper portion of Morse Reservoir. The man-made lake covers 1,500 acres with a shoreline of over 32 miles. Over 600 homes are on the water, have water views or access, and Cicero is 35 minutes from Indianapolis, 30 minutes to Kokomo, and 20 minutes to Anderson. The Cicero Utilities, located in Cicero, IN, is a utility company that provides public services for Cicero residents. Cicero water is sourced from four wells. Two are located in town at the water treatment plant; the other two are east and south of Buckeye Street. These wells are in a sand and gravel aquifer at depths from 105 to 115 feet. A secondary limestone aquifer ranges in depth from 150 to 400 feet. Water in Cicero is considered very hard at 12-20 gpg.
Zip code: 47933
Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west-central Indiana, United States, 49 miles west by northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County, the only chartered city and largest populated place in the county. Indiana American Water supplies public water to Crawfordsville residents. The raw drinking water supply is groundwater obtained from four wells in one well field and averages 1.9 million gallons per day. Private well and city water in Crawfordsville is very hard and averages 23 gpg.
Zip codes: 46037, 46038, 46040, 46055, 46256, 46085
A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers, Indiana is one of the fastest-growing communities in America, with a population today of 85,000 compared to 38,000 in 2000. The town has affordable homes, good healthcare, and a diverse business sector, and transportation assets include Interstate 69. A highly regarded Hamilton Southeastern School District has more than 21,00a0 students, and recreation attractions include Geist Reservoir, 14 parks, and 85 miles of trails and greenways. There are two suppliers for public water in Fishers—Citizen’s Energy Group & The American Water Company. The average water hardness in Fishers is 18gpg.
Zip code: 46040
Fortville is located in the northwest corner of Hancock County. It is immediately adjacent to neighboring Hamilton County, which forms the town’s western boundary. Fortville is approximately 25 miles northeast of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, and part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Fortville averages 15-17 gpg of water hardness for private wells and city water.
Zip code: 46140
The City of Greenfield Water Utility draws water from an underground aquifer. Water is pumped from wells to the Water Filtration Plant. After going through the filtration and disinfection process, the water is then sent into the water distribution system. The total capacity of all plants is seven million gallons per day, with the capability to expand to eleven million gallons per day. The city averages approximately three million gallons per day, and water hardness is around 17-19 gpg.
Zip codes: 46142, 46143, 46184
Greenwood is located in Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis and about 15 minutes from downtown. IUPUI and Butler University are just a short, 30-minute drive, while Indiana University is less than an hour south, and Purdue University is only an hour and a half to the northwest. Greenwood homeowners with city water have either Citizen’s Energy Group, Indiana American Water, or Bargersville Water Utility. The raw drinking water supply is groundwater obtained from 20 wells in six well fields. Water in Greenwood averages around 22 gpg and is considered extremely hard.
Water in Indianapolis, INZip codes: 46107, 46113, 46183, 46201, 46202, 46203, 46204, 46205, 46208, 46214, 46217, 46218, 46219, 46220, 46221, 46222, 46224, 46225, 46226, 46227, 46228, 46229, 46231, 46234, 46235, 46236, 46237, 46239, 46240, 46241, 46250, 46254, 46256, 46259, 46260, 46268, 46278
Citizens provides safe, high-quality water service to approximately 400,000 homes and businesses in the eight-county Indianapolis area. Water is transported via 4,000 miles of pipeline from nine water treatment plants strategically located near primary water sources including the White River and Geist, Morse, and Eagle Creek Reservoirs. The Indiana Central Canal is also an important water source for the city. The average water hardness for city water and private water wells in Indianapolis is 15-20gpg.
Zip codes: 46216, 46226, 46235, 46236, 46256
Lawrence is a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is one of four “excluded cities” in Marion County. The city is home to Fort Benjamin Harrison within Fort Harrison State Park. The population was 49,462, according to the 2020 census. Lawrence’s water is supplied by deep wells and is treated to remove iron and manganese. Chlorine is used as a disinfectant, and fluoride is added to protect against tooth decay in children. Phosphates are added to help control iron and corrosion in the water system. Each year, the entire water main system is flushed in the spring and fall to maintain water quality. Water in Lawrence averages about 22 gpg hardness for city and private well water.
<h2id=”lebanon”>Water in Lebanon, IN
Zip code: 46052
Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Boone County, Indiana, United States. The population was 16,662 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Central Indiana, approximately 29 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis and 36 miles southeast of Lafayette. The Lebanon Utilities Water Department has two water treatment plants to provide water service to approximately 7,000 customers. Water plants aerate the water to oxidize the iron so the filters can remove it. The aerator also strips the rotten egg taste caused by sulfates in the water. They then add phosphate to clean and coat the pipes to prevent copper and lead from leaching into the water as it sits in public service lines and faucets. Chlorine is added to the water as it enters and leaves the water treatment facilities to destroy any bacteria. Water hardness in Lebanon averages just over 9 gpg.
Zip code: 46158
Mooresville, Indiana is a town located in the heartland of America that combines a small-town atmosphere with the benefits of a big city. It offers a beautiful Midwestern setting for high-quality family life. Just 10 miles southwest of our state capital, Indianapolis, Mooresville is located next to a major distribution center and international air hub. The Indiana American Water system in Mooresville serves approximately 3600 customers located in Mooresville and parts of Brown and Madison Townships of Morgan County. They operate five wells that draw from a sand and gravel aquifer known locally as the White Lick Creek Aquifer. Water hardness in Mooresville averages between 17-22 gpg.
Zip codes: 46038, 46060, 46062
Noblesville is supplied by The American Water Company and their raw drinking water supply is groundwater obtained from 12 wells in three well fields. The average water hardness for city water and private water wells in Noblesville is around 20gpg.
Zip codes: 46013, 46064
Pendleton’s water source is rock wells, drawn from the White and West Fork White aquifers. Water is filtered to remove iron and manganese. It is also disinfected with chlorine to safeguard against microbial contaminants. Fluoride is also added to enhance protection from tooth decay. The average water hardness in Pendleton is 13 gpg.
Water in Plainfield, INZip codes: 46168, 46197, 46231
The Plainfield Water Works provides water service to approximately 8,800 customers from a total of four water treatment plants and 8 groundwater wells. The Plainfield Water Works system is capable of producing approximately 9.5 million gallons of treated drinking water each day. The drinking water treatment begins with aerating and chlorinating the well water, which oxidizes the naturally occurring iron and manganese contained in the groundwater. Oxidized iron and manganese are then removed by pressure filtration. The filtered water is chlorinated in order to maintain a residual level of disinfectant throughout the town’s distribution system. Fluoride is also added to the finished drinking water prior to entering the distribution system, along with polyphosphate which minimizes corrosion within the Town’s piping system and staining sinks and tubs in homes and businesses. Water hardness in Plainfield averages around 12gpg.
Zip code: 46176
Shelbyville, the county seat of Shelby County, is located on the forks of Little Blue River and Big Blue River near the center of the county. The population during the 2020 federal census was 20,067 people. The raw drinking water supply is groundwater obtained from four wells in one well field and a small amount of the finished drinking water is supplied from the Johnson County Operations London Road Treatment Plant. Shelbyville water averages around 16-26 gpg.
Zip code: 46224
Speedway is a town on Indy’s west side best known as the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The town was created 17 years after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was built in 1909 after a group of four men purchased land on the west side of Indianapolis to build the track. The Water Works draws water from two sources. The surface water treatment plant draws water from Big Eagle Creek. The groundwater treatment plant draws water from the Speedway Well Field which consists of thirteen wells located within the corporate limits of Speedway. The average water hardness for Speedway is around 21 gpg.
Zip codes: 46032, 46033, 46062, 46069, 46074, 46077
Citizens Water Company provides Westfield’s public water services and because the water is not softened at the source, the average hardness for city water and private water wells is 15-25 gpg. Citizens Westfield’s drinking water source is groundwater. Citizens Westfield operates three groundwater stations that serve small portions of the service territory: River Road, Cherry Tree, and Greyhound Pass. These groundwater stations treat water pumped from underground water sources called aquifers.
Zip code: 46077
Zionsville is a suburban town located in the extreme southeast area of Boone County, northwest of Indianapolis with a population just above 28,000. Citizens Water Company provides Zionsville’s public water services and, because the water is not softened at the source, the average hardness for city water and private water wells is 15gpg.
*This data of water hardness is for reference purposes only and may vary based on location.
