Bay City Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
22.4 grains per gallon
Source
mixed
pH Level
8.5
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.008 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
1155.4 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 Bay City, your appliances are currently losing 45% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Bay City | 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 Bay City compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Bay City, Texas | 383 mg/L | 11.2 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
| Lake Jackson, Texas | 265 mg/L | 8.7 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
| Angleton, Texas | 233.5 mg/L | 8 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
| Rosenberg, Texas | 70.5 mg/L | 4.6 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| New Territory, Texas | 212 mg/L | 7.6 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
National Benchmark
How Bay City compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Bay City | 383 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
Bring Badger-quality water to your Bay City home
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What Makes Bay City's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Bay City, Texas, in Matagorda County — the Matagorda County seat adjacent to Wharton and El Campo on the Colorado River near the Texas Gulf Coast — receives its municipal water from the Bay City Utilities Division, drawing from the Colorado River at the Matagorda County intake and supplemented by local groundwater wells.
The extremely hard 383 mg/L hardness and very high TDS of 1,155 mg/L make Bay City one of the hardest water supplies in the entire state of Texas. The Colorado River at Matagorda County has traveled through the full Texas Hill Country-Gulf Coast calcareous system — the Cretaceous Edwards Plateau Limestone (very high-purity carbonate — primary hardness source for the central Texas Colorado corridor), Permian Guadalupian evaporite redbeds (gypsum, anhydrite, dolomite — very high TDS contribution), and the Gulf Coastal Plain calcareous Tertiary deposits. The cumulative Cretaceous-Permian carbonate-evaporite loading produces the extreme hardness.
At 383 mg/L with TDS 1,155, Bay City's water is among the hardest in the USA. A water softener is essential and urgent. Scale forms immediately on all surfaces, appliance lifespans are critically shortened, and water heaters fail within years without softening. The PFAS level of 11.2 ppt warrants a certified reverse osmosis drinking water filter — the Matagorda County petrochemical complex, PFAS from the Bay City nuclear plant (South Texas Project), and the Texas Gulf Coast PFAS background contribute to Bay City's very elevated readings.
Geology & Source: Bay City in Matagorda County draws from the Bay City Utilities on the Colorado River and local wells (Matagorda County, Texas Gulf Coast) — the Colorado River at Matagorda County drains the Texas Hill Country (Cretaceous Edwards Limestone, Permian Guadalupian evaporite-calcareous) — Texas Gulf Coast Colorado River Cretaceous-Permian calcareous watershed produces extremely hard water at 383 mg/L with very high TDS 1155.4 mg/L in this Matagorda County Texas city.