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Pick your city or enter your postal code to see how hard your tap water is, straight from your city's latest water quality report. We show it in mg/L and in the other units you might see on a dishwasher, a softener or a test strip.
Choose a city or enter a postal code to see your result.
In other units
Source: City of Calgary, Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant summary, 2025 (PDF). Data for: 2025, annual summary. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: City of Calgary, Glenmore Water Treatment Plant summary, 2025 (PDF). Data for: 2025, annual summary. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: EPCOR, Edmonton water quality monthly summary, November 2025 (PDF). Data for: January to November 2025. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: City of Regina, 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report (PDF). Data for: 2025, comprehensive annual sample. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: City of Saskatoon, 2023 Year End Summary Report (PDF). Data for: 2023, year-end summary. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: Region of Waterloo and City of Guelph (Water Softener Facts), My water hardness. Data for: Range published by the source, no date given. Checked October 15, 2026.
In other units
Source: Region of Waterloo and City of Guelph (Water Softener Facts), My water hardness. Data for: Range published by the source, no date given. Checked October 15, 2026.
In other units
Source: Region of Waterloo and City of Guelph (Water Softener Facts), My water hardness. Data for: Range published by the source, no date given. Checked October 15, 2026.
In other units
Source: City of Toronto, Drinking water analysis summary, 2025 (PDF). Data for: 2025, annual analysis summary. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Montréal, 2024 annual drinking water report for Montréal, Montréal-Ouest and Mont-Royal (PDF, in French). Data for: 2024, annual report. Checked October 15, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Laval, 2025 average drinking water results (PDF, in French). Data for: 2025, treated water average. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Laval, 2025 average drinking water results (PDF, in French). Data for: 2025, treated water average. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Laval, 2025 average drinking water results (PDF, in French). Data for: 2025, treated water average. Checked October 13, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Longueuil, 2025 water quality report, Louise-Gravel network (PDF, in French). Data for: 2025, distributed water, annual average. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Longueuil, 2025 water quality report, Greenfield Park and Le Moyne network (PDF, in French). Data for: 2025, distributed water, annual average. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Gatineau, Drinking water analyses, Aylmer sector, 2023 (PDF, in French). Data for: September 2023, one sample of distributed water. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Gatineau, Drinking water analyses, Hull sector, 2023 (PDF, in French). Data for: September 2023, one sample of distributed water. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Gatineau, Drinking water analyses, Gatineau sector, 2023 (PDF, in French). Data for: September 2023, one sample of distributed water. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Gatineau, Drinking water analyses, Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors, 2023 (PDF, in French). Data for: September 2023, one sample of distributed water. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: Ville de Sherbrooke, 2025 analysis results for water sent to the distribution network (PDF, in French). Data for: 2025, treated water leaving the plant. Checked October 17, 2026.
In other units
Source: City of Winnipeg, Water Quality Test Results, open data. Data for: 2025, distribution system test results. Checked October 13, 2026.
Postal code matching uses the first three characters and is approximate near city limits.
Scale builds slowly with soft water. Odours, grease and detergent residue are the bigger issue, so clean the dishwasher and the washer about every two weeks.
Dissolves grease, detergent residue and limescale buildup, and removes odour-causing buildup.
Clears grease, limescale and odour buildup
Breaks down residue and odour-causing buildup inside your washer.
Removes odour and buildup from the drum and hoses
Some scale builds up over time, mostly where water gets heated: kettles, coffee makers and washers. A monthly clean keeps it in check.
Dissolves grease, detergent residue and limescale buildup, and removes odour-causing buildup.
Clears grease, limescale and odour buildup
Breaks down residue and odour-causing buildup inside your washer.
Removes odour and buildup from the drum and hoses
Removes limescale, mineral buildup and coffee oils inside your coffee maker.
Descales for better-tasting coffee
Expect scale in your coffee maker and kettle, and a white film on glasses. Descale the coffee maker and ice machine regularly, and clean the dishwasher and the washer about every two weeks.
Removes limescale, mineral buildup and coffee oils inside your coffee maker.
Descales for better-tasting coffee
Dissolves grease, detergent residue and limescale buildup, and removes odour-causing buildup.
Clears grease, limescale and odour buildup
Breaks down residue and odour-causing buildup inside your washer.
Removes odour and buildup from the drum and hoses
Removes mineral buildup and odours inside your ice machine.
Descales and freshens countertop ice makers
Scale builds fast. Descale your coffee maker and ice machine often, and clean the dishwasher and the washer about every two weeks.
Removes limescale, mineral buildup and coffee oils inside your coffee maker.
Descales for better-tasting coffee
Removes mineral buildup and odours inside your ice machine.
Descales and freshens countertop ice makers
Dissolves grease, detergent residue and limescale buildup, and removes odour-causing buildup.
Clears grease, limescale and odour buildup
Breaks down residue and odour-causing buildup inside your washer.
Removes odour and buildup from the drum and hoses
Every number links to the report it comes from. Cities on the same water supply share a page.
| City | Water system | Hardness (mg/L) | Rating | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary Alberta | Bearspaw plant (mostly north Calgary) | 174 | Hard | City of Calgary 2025, annual summary |
| Glenmore plant (mostly south Calgary) | 224 | Very hard | City of Calgary 2025, annual summary | |
| Edmonton Alberta | EPCOR treatment plants | 173 | Hard | EPCOR January to November 2025 |
| Regina Saskatchewan | City of Regina distribution system | 203 | Very hard | City of Regina 2025, comprehensive annual sample |
| Saskatoon Saskatchewan | City of Saskatoon treated water | 177 | Hard | City of Saskatoon 2023, year-end summary |
| Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario | Kitchener and Waterloo | 291 to 616 | Very hard | Region of Waterloo and City of Guelph (Water Softener Facts) Range published by the source, no date given |
| Cambridge | 342 to 616 | Very hard | Region of Waterloo and City of Guelph (Water Softener Facts) Range published by the source, no date given | |
| Guelph Ontario | City of Guelph | 359 to 564 | Very hard | Region of Waterloo and City of Guelph (Water Softener Facts) Range published by the source, no date given |
| Toronto Ontario | City of Toronto | 119 | Moderately hard | City of Toronto 2025, annual analysis summary |
| Montréal Quebec | Atwater and Charles-J.-Des Baillets plants | 117 | Moderately hard | Ville de Montréal 2024, annual report |
| Laval Quebec | Chomedey plant | 51 | Soft | Ville de Laval 2025, treated water average |
| Pont-Viau plant | 50 | Soft | Ville de Laval 2025, treated water average | |
| Sainte-Rose plant | 61 | Moderately hard | Ville de Laval 2025, treated water average | |
| Longueuil Quebec | Louise-Gravel plant | 113 | Moderately hard | Ville de Longueuil 2025, distributed water, annual average |
| Le Royer plant | 117 | Moderately hard | Ville de Longueuil 2025, distributed water, annual average | |
| Gatineau Quebec | Aylmer sector (Aylmer plant) | 32 | Soft | Ville de Gatineau September 2023, one sample of distributed water |
| Hull sector (Hull plant) | 45 | Soft | Ville de Gatineau September 2023, one sample of distributed water | |
| Gatineau sector (Gatineau plant) | 40 | Soft | Ville de Gatineau September 2023, one sample of distributed water | |
| Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors (Buckingham plant) | 40 | Soft | Ville de Gatineau September 2023, one sample of distributed water | |
| Sherbrooke Quebec | J.-M.-Jeanson plant | 73 | Moderately hard | Ville de Sherbrooke 2025, treated water leaving the plant |
| Winnipeg Manitoba | City of Winnipeg distribution system | 82 | Moderately hard | City of Winnipeg 2025, distribution system test results |
We use the U.S. Geological Survey scale, in mg/L as CaCO₃.
Utilities usually report hardness in mg/L as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), which is the same as ppm. Dishwasher and softener manuals often use grains per gallon or German degrees instead. Here is how they convert:
Hard water carries dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium. When it is heated or dries, those minerals leave scale behind: the white, chalky crust you see in kettles, in coffee makers and on taps.
We use the U.S. Geological Survey scale: 0 to 60 mg/L is soft, 61 to 120 is moderately hard, 121 to 180 is hard, and over 180 is very hard.
Canadian guidance treats hardness as an operational issue, not a health one. Health Canada says 80 to 100 mg/L gives an acceptable balance between corrosion and scale, and that water above 200 mg/L is considered poor but has been tolerated by consumers.
River water changes with the seasons. On the Prairies, hardness tends to peak in winter: south Calgary ran 208 to 274 mg/L from January to March 2025, and February was Edmonton's hardest month. Calgary says hardness is lowest during spring snowmelt.
Each figure comes from a published source that we link to, usually the utility's own report or open data. We show the period it covers when the source gives one, and the date we checked it. We only list a water system once we have found a figure we can cite, so some cities are not here yet.
Look for your municipality's annual drinking water quality report. Most list total hardness, usually in mg/L as CaCO₃, so you can compare it with the scale on this page.
Our coffee maker cleaner tablets, ice machine cleaner and dishwasher cleaner remove limescale and mineral buildup. Our washing machine cleaner breaks down the residue and odours that build up in a machine you run every week.
Data last reviewed October 17, 2026.
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