Longview Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Longview, Texas, in Gregg County in the East Texas Piney Woods — a historic petroleum and timber city — draws its municipal water supply from Lake Cherokee (a private lake on a Sabine River tributary in Gregg County) and Lake Gladewater (a Sabine tributary impoundment in Gregg County) via the City of Longview Water Utilities and the Gregg County Water Supply system. These east Texas reservoirs supply the Longview metropolitan area. Water hardness in Longview measures 351.5 mg/L — classified as very hard.

Longview's very hard supply reflects East Texas Cretaceous geology in the Sabine River drainage of Gregg County. The Lake Cherokee and Lake Gladewater watersheds drain: the Cretaceous Woodbine Formation (permeable sandstone — but the Woodbine in East Texas contains calcareous cement and is adjacent to the Buda Limestone and Eagle Ford Chalk); the Cretaceous Nacatoch Sand and Taylor Marl (calcareous marl and chalk formations — high lime content); the Cretaceous Austin Chalk equivalents of northeast Texas; and possible Permian gypsum and anhydrite evaporite formations that outcrop in northeast Texas as the sub-Cretaceous unconformity. The East Texas Cretaceous chalk and marl terrain dissolves readily, producing the very hard supply characteristic of the Longview area.

At 351.5 mg/L, Longview residents face significant hard water challenges throughout the home. Heavy scale deposits form rapidly on faucet aerators, showerheads, shower glass, tile, and appliances — monthly descaling with commercial citric acid products is essential. Dishwashers require rinse-aid plus periodic cleaning, and water heaters need annual professional inspection. City of Longview Water Utilities consistently delivers water meeting all Texas TCEQ and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.