Urbana Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
15.5 grains per gallon
Source
river
pH Level
8.5
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.008 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
679.6 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.71
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 Urbana, your appliances are currently losing 35% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Urbana | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 1.5 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -82% |
| Washing Machine | 3.8 yrs | 12 yrs | -68% |
| Water Heater | 5 yrs | 15 yrs | -67% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Urbana compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Urbana, Illinois | 264.5 mg/L | 9.2 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
| Champaign, Illinois | 149.5 mg/L | 5.3 ppt | 🟠 Hard | river |
| Rantoul, Illinois | 101.5 mg/L | 3.7 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | river |
| Danville, Illinois | 127 mg/L | 4.6 ppt | 🟠 Hard | river |
| Charleston, Illinois | 244.5 mg/L | 8.5 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
National Benchmark
How Urbana compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Urbana | 264.5 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Urbana's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Urbana, Illinois, in Champaign County — the home of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, one of the world's great public research universities, home of the Grainger College of Engineering, the Illinois Fighting Illini, the Alma Mater statue, and the historic Altgeld Hall chimes tower), the twin city of Champaign, a major Midwest college town and tech innovation corridor in the east-central Illinois cornbelt — draws its municipal water supply from the Mahomet Aquifer via the City of Urbana Water Division. Water hardness in Urbana measures 264.5 mg/L — classified as very hard.
Urbana's very hard supply reflects the Champaign County Mahomet Aquifer's exceptional calcareous geology. The Mahomet Aquifer — a buried bedrock valley (the Mahomet Valley, a preglacial river valley filled with calcareous glacial outwash) — is hosted in: calcareous Wisconsin Age outwash and till from the Lake Michigan and Huron–Erie Lobes (calcareous till derived from the Michigan Basin dolomite and Indiana–Ohio calcareous limestone terrain); the Pennsylvanian–Mississippian calcareous limestone and dolomite of the buried Mahomet Valley bedrock. The exceptional calcareous glacial fill in the Mahomet buried valley produces the very hard 264.5 mg/L at Urbana.
At 264.5 mg/L, Urbana residents face severe hard water challenges. Scale deposits form very rapidly on all fixtures and appliances — weekly descaling measures are strongly recommended. City of Urbana Water Division consistently delivers water meeting all Illinois EPA and federal EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Groundwater from the Mahomet Aquifer (Champaign County buried valley glacial aquifer) via the City of Urbana Water Division — the Champaign County east-central Illinois Mahomet buried bedrock valley (Wisconsin Age calcareous dolomite till from the Lake Michigan Lobe and Pennsylvanian–Mississippian calcareous dolomite and limestone); very hard supply at 264.5 mg/L — reflecting the Mahomet Aquifer's highly calcareous calcareous glacial fill.