Missoula Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
4.7 grains per gallon
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.5
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.004 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
155.3 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.21
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 Missoula, your appliances are currently losing 11% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Missoula | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 6.9 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -19% |
| Washing Machine | 10.6 yrs | 12 yrs | -12% |
| Water Heater | 12.4 yrs | 15 yrs | -17% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Missoula compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Missoula, Montana | 80.5 mg/L | 1.8 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Kalispell, Montana | 158.5 mg/L | 2.9 ppt | 🟠 Hard | reservoir |
| Butte, Montana | 56 mg/L | 1.4 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Helena, Montana | 113 mg/L | 2.2 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Great Falls, Montana | 164.5 mg/L | 2.9 ppt | 🟠 Hard | reservoir |
National Benchmark
How Missoula compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Missoula | 80.5 mg/L | 🟡 Low |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Missoula's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Missoula, Montana, the Missoula County seat in western Montana — home of the University of Montana at the confluence of five mountain valleys — draws its municipal water supply from the Missoula Valley Aquifer via the City of Missoula Water Division, pumping from the extensively studied unconfined glaciofluvial aquifer of the Missoula Valley floor. The Missoula Valley aquifer is recharged by the Clark Fork River and its major tributaries (Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Rattlesnake Creek). Water hardness in Missoula measures 80.5 mg/L — classified as moderately soft.
Missoula's soft supply reflects the Missoula Valley's exceptional glaciofluvial geology. The Missoula Valley Aquifer was formed from catastrophic Glacial Lake Missoula outburst floods during the Pleistocene — the famous Missoula Floods scoured the Clark Fork valley and deposited massive glaciofluvial gravel and sand sequences of largely siliceous composition (Precambrian Belt Supergroup quartzite, metaargillite, and Paleozoic siliceous formations). The Belt Supergroup quartzite dominates the Missoula Valley drainage — quartzite is extremely resistant to dissolution, contributing very little calcium or magnesium to groundwater. The predominantly siliceous glaciofluvial gravel aquifer produces naturally soft water, consistent with the soft supply found throughout western Montana's Belt Supergroup terrain.
With hardness at 80.5 mg/L, Missoula residents enjoy moderately soft water with minimal scale challenges. City of Missoula Water Division consistently delivers water meeting all Montana DEQ and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Groundwater from the Missoula Valley Aquifer via the City of Missoula Water Division — the Pleistocene–Holocene glaciofluvial gravel and sand deposits of the Missoula Valley (the former Lake Missoula and Bitterroot–Clark Fork River flood outwash) and the Precambrian Belt Supergroup quartzite and argillite drainage of Missoula County; moderately soft supply at 80.5 mg/L in Missoula County.