Laurel Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Laurel, Mississippi, in Jones County — the Jones County seat adjacent to Hattiesburg in southeast Mississippi, a city known for its historic downtown architecture and the Laurel Oaks restoration projects featured nationally — receives its municipal water from the City of Laurel Water Division, drawing from the Leaf River or from Jones County groundwater in the Mississippi Coastal Plain aquifer system.

The soft 71.5 mg/L hardness and TDS of 180.7 mg/L reflect the Jones County Coastal Plain's Eocene sandy aquifer character. The Leaf River in Jones County drains the Longleaf Pine Belt of southeast Mississippi — terrain underlain by Eocene Claiborne Group (Tallahatta and Winona Formations — fine calcareous sand and clay), the Eocene Wilcox Group, and Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Formation (fine sand — largely insoluble). The soft supply reflects the low-carbonate, sandy Mississippi Coastal Plain sediment, typical of the Leaf River-Jones County supply zone.

At 71.5 mg/L, Laurel's water is soft — essentially no scale forms, soap lathers abundantly, and appliances maintain good efficiency. Annual descaling is sufficient. The PFAS level of 4.3 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Camp Shelby (Hattiesburg, Forrest County — Mississippi National Guard — AFFF user in the Leaf River watershed), the Hattiesburg industrial corridor, and the Mississippi Gulf Coastal Plain PFAS background contribute to Laurel's readings.