Brainerd Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Brainerd, Minnesota, in Crow Wing County — the Crow Wing County seat adjacent to Baxter and Little Falls on the Mississippi River in central Minnesota — receives its water from Brainerd Utilities, drawing from the Mississippi River or local glacial aquifer (Crow Wing County) through the central Minnesota distribution.

The hard 162.5 mg/L hardness and TDS of 323.4 mg/L reflect the central Minnesota Crow Wing County Mississippi River supply's hard dolomitic character — driven by the Ordovician Prairie du Chien Dolomite dissolution and the calcareous Pleistocene glacial drift of the central Minnesota plateau, consistent with the Sauk Rapids-St. Cloud Mississippi River corridor (Sauk Rapids: 256 mg/L on a deeper dolomite draw; Brainerd somewhat softer from a more surface-oriented supply). The Mississippi River at Crow Wing County — Ordovician Prairie du Chien Dolomite (dolomitic — primary hardness contributor), Cambrian Jordan Sandstone (insoluble — dilutant), and Pleistocene calcareous glacial drift (calcareous — TDS contributor).

At 162.5 mg/L, Brainerd's water is hard — scale builds steadily in appliances, dishwashers require rinse aid, and faucet aerators need regular cleaning. Quarterly descaling is appropriate and a water softener is beneficial. The PFAS level of 4.9 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Crow Wing County central Minnesota industrial corridor contribute to Brainerd's readings.