Gardner Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
23.6 grains per gallon
Source
groundwater
pH Level
8.5
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.008 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
1294.3 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$1.00
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 Gardner, your appliances are currently losing 45% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Gardner | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 1.5 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -82% |
| Washing Machine | 3 yrs | 12 yrs | -75% |
| Water Heater | 5 yrs | 15 yrs | -67% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Gardner compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Gardner, Kansas | 404 mg/L | 5.5 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | groundwater |
| Olathe, Kansas | 340.5 mg/L | 4.7 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | groundwater |
| Lenexa, Kansas | 383 mg/L | 5.2 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | groundwater |
| Overland Park, Kansas | 374.5 mg/L | 5.1 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | groundwater |
| Shawnee, Kansas | 347.5 mg/L | 4.8 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | groundwater |
National Benchmark
How Gardner compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Gardner | 404 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Gardner's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Gardner, Kansas, in Johnson County — a rapidly growing Johnson County exurban community at the far southwestern edge of the Kansas City metro, adjacent to the historic Santa Fe Trail corridor at Gardner Junction (where the Santa Fe Trail diverged from the Oregon Trail), a fast-expanding Kansas City suburban development zone — receives its municipal water from Gardner Water Utilities, which draws from local groundwater wellfields in the Gardner area of southern Johnson County — the Spring Hill aquifer zone of the eastern Kansas limestone and evaporite geology.
The extremely hard 404 mg/L hardness and very high TDS of 1294.3 mg/L place Gardner among the hardest municipal water supplies in this entire dataset — reflecting the extreme evaporite-carbonate geology of the eastern Kansas Pennsylvanian-Permian bedrock sequence. The Gardner area groundwater accesses aquifer zones in the Pennsylvanian Lansing and Kansas City Group (marine limestone and shale — highly calcareous) and particularly the Permian Sumner Group — which includes the Wellington Formation (anhydrite, gypsum, rock salt, and calcareous shale). The Permian evaporite sequence's gypsum (calcium sulfate) and anhydrite dissolution contributes enormous quantities of dissolved calcium and sulfate to groundwater, producing sulfate-rich extremely hard water with TDS well above the EPA's aesthetic guideline of 500 mg/L. This eastern Kansas evaporite-Pennsylvanian carbonate combination is one of the most extreme hardness environments in the US.
At 404 mg/L with TDS 1294 mg/L, Gardner's water is in a class of extreme hardness. Scale forms instantly on appliances and fixtures — water heaters, dishwashers, and coffee machines can fail within months without treatment. A whole-house water softener is essential, and kitchen reverse osmosis filtration for drinking water is strongly recommended at this TDS level (nearly three times the EPA aesthetic guideline). The PFAS level of 5.5 ppt warrants RO filtration — the Gardner-Johnson County corridor's proximity to the Kansas City metropolitan industrial belt and the military-aviation complex contributes to the PFAS reading.
Geology & Source: Gardner in Johnson County draws from Gardner Water Utilities on the Wellfield Aquifer (Spring Hill aquifer) — the Gardner area groundwater taps Pennsylvanian Lansing and Kansas City limestone group aquifers and Permian Sumner Group evaporite (gypsum and anhydrite) beneath the Eastern Kansas Plains — Permian evaporite-Pennsylvanian carbonate aquifer produces extremely hard water at 404 mg/L with very high TDS 1294 mg/L in this Johnson County Kansas city.