Marina Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
7.2 grains per gallon
Source
mixed
pH Level
7.8
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.006 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
335.1 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.33
energy & soap waste
Source: USGS Water Quality Portal · Updated 2026
0–60
mg/L
Soft
61–120
mg/L
Moderately Hard
121–180
mg/L
Hard
180+
mg/L
Very Hard
Appliance Damage Report
In Marina, your appliances are currently losing 17% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Marina | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 5.5 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -35% |
| Washing Machine | 9 yrs | 12 yrs | -25% |
| Water Heater | 10.6 yrs | 15 yrs | -29% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Marina compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Marina, California | 124 mg/L | 5.6 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Seaside, California | 150.5 mg/L | 6.4 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Monterey, California | 41.5 mg/L | 3.2 ppt | 🟢 Soft | mixed |
| Pacific Grove, California | 99.5 mg/L | 4.9 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| Salinas, California | 134 mg/L | 5.9 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
National Benchmark
How Marina compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Marina | 124 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Marina's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Marina, California, in Monterey County — a Monterey Peninsula community adjacent to the former Fort Ord (a large US Army base decommissioned in 1994), now a mixed residential-commercial community on the Monterey Bay coastline, home of California State University Monterey Bay built on the former Fort Ord site — receives its municipal water from the Marina Coast Water District (MCWD), which draws from the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin through local production wells in the Marina sub-basin of the Salinas groundwater system.
The moderately hard 124 mg/L hardness and TDS of 335.1 mg/L reflect the Salinas Valley groundwater basin's coastal alluvial aquifer character. The Salinas Valley is underlain by a thick sequence of Quaternary alluvial fan and fluvial deposits derived from the Santa Lucia Range to the east — the Santa Lucia Mountains are underlain by the Salinian Block (a displaced fragment of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith — Cretaceous granodiorite and tonalite) and Paleogene marine sedimentary rocks. The granitic Salinian Block produces moderate dissolved mineral content in alluvial recharge, and the Salinas Valley's agricultural irrigation return flows (the Salinas Valley is one of the most intensely farmed valleys in the world) contribute additional dissolved minerals to the basin through evapotranspiration concentration.
At 124 mg/L, Marina's water is moderately hard — scale builds in kettles and appliances over months, dishwashers benefit from rinse aid, and faucet aerators need periodic cleaning. Quarterly descaling is appropriate. The PFAS level of 5.6 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the former Fort Ord's extensive AFFF firefighting foam history (Fort Ord was a large Army training base with known PFAS groundwater contamination designated a Superfund site) directly impacts the Marina Coast Water District's Salinas Basin wells; MCWD actively monitors PFAS from the Fort Ord contamination plume.
Geology & Source: Marina in Monterey County draws from the Marina Coast Water District (MCWD) on the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin — the Salinas Basin alluvial aquifer taps Quaternary alluvial fan deposits from the Santa Lucia Range (Cretaceous Salinian Block granodiorite) — granitic alluvial drainage produces moderately hard water at 124 mg/L with TDS 335 mg/L in this Monterey County city.