How can I tell if the water in my home is hard?

Anyone who wants to improve the quality of the water in their home needs to understand the concept of water hardness. Water hardness refers to the concentration of dissolved minerals – mostly calcium and magnesium – in the water. The harder the water, the higher the concentration of minerals. Hard water can affect your day-to-day life as well as your home’s plumbing system.

Some of the common signs of hard water include:

There are calcium deposits in your pipes
The water pressure is very low
Your clothing is stained and faded after washing
There is soap residue on your glassware and dishes
There is soap scum on your shower doors
Your hair and skin feel dry after a shower
Calcium has built up in your faucets throughout the house

The table below lists the level of water hardness in some cities in Quebec. It’s important to understand the quality of water in your home. To help you, your municipality publishes an annual report with water hardness data.

Water hardness is measured in milligrams per litre (mg/L) or grains per gallon (gpg).

Water hardness scale

Quebec cities hardness census table

City name	Hardness (mg/L)
Asbestos	65
Ayers Cliff	92
Aylmer	35 – 40
Baie-St-Paul	54
Beaconsfield	60 – 70
Beauharnois	130
Beauport	50 – 60
Beaupré	245
Boucherville	120
Buckingham	35 – 40
Cap-de-la-Madeleine	18
Chambly	55
Chicoutimi	34
Dorval	15.8 – 22.3
Drummondville	60 – 120
East Angus	30 – 36
Farnham	50
Grand-Mère	50
Hudson	227
Hull	35 – 40
Iberville	62
Joliette	20 – 45
Jonquière	31
Kénogami	17
Lachine	109 – 124
Lachute	40
Lauzon	80 – 110
Laval	28 – 47
Lévis	80 – 110
Longueuil	120
Laterrière	130
Louiseville	23
Magog	52.5 – 72.3
Montebello	19
Montmagny	20
Montreal	109 – 124
Morin Heights	150 – 200
Murray Ray	130
Nicolet	100 – 120
Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot	27
Ormstown	365
Pincourt	27
Quebec City	50 – 60
Richmond	58,6
Rimouski	172 – 200
Rouyn	80
Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce	25
Shaneville	181
Shawinigan	50
Sherbrooke	43.3 – 51.9
Shipshaw	160
Sorel	60
St-Hyacinthe	52
St-Jean sur Richelieu	65
St-Jérôme	60
St-Lambert	120
Ste-Agathe-des-Monts	26
Ste-Adèle	77 & 184
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue	109 – 124
Ste-Scholastique	345
Ste-Thérèse	218
Stanstead	125
Vaudreuil	27
Thetford Mines	52
Trois-Rivières	25
Val d’Or	170
Valleyfield (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield)	132
Victoriaville	100 – 120
Ville St-Laurent	116
Waterloo	209

*This list is subject to change without notice. If data from your city is missing, please get in touch with your municipality.

In conclusion, finding out how hard your water is will help you determine the ways to improve the quality of water in your home. HydroSolution has solutions that can soften your water and protect your home appliances. For instance, a water softener is perfect for softening water while filtering out any contaminants. It can be installed directly on your main water line, near your hot water tank, or in a utility room. It’s a simple, fully programmable electronic system with self-diagnostic and self-cleaning features.

For more information about our products, please visit our section on water purification and filtration systems or fill out the questionnaire to find the system that meets your needs. You can also get a quote online or call us at 1 877 353-0077.

Want to test the quality
of water in your home?

Get a free water test kit by mail to test the quality of the water in your home. The kit includes tests to measure chlorine levels and hardness levels. This will allow you to better understand what’s in your water so you can pick the product that’s right for you.

Get a water test kit