Water hardness in Billings
Billings, Ontario tap water is soft, drawn from lake huron via mudge bay (north channel) raw water intake. Here is what it means at home, and the source.
What this means at home
Little scale, soap lathers easily, and a softener is rarely worth it.
The 2024 raw water hardness at the Kagawong WTP intake on Mudge Bay is 73.7 mg/L as CaCO3. The ultrafiltration membrane treatment plant does not soften the water, so treated water hardness is expected to be similar to the raw water value.
You likely do not need a softener. A quick test kit confirms it for your own tap.
New to this? Read hard water, explained, including whether it is safe to drink and how to test your tap.
The number, in real terms
At 73.7 mg/L (4.3 grains per gallon), a four-person Billings household puts only about 1,298 grains of hardness a day through its plumbing (industry sizing convention: about 300 US gallons a day). That is little enough that a softener has almost nothing to remove.
Scale ceiling: every 1,000 litres heated can leave at most 74 grams of scale, because that is the total mineral carried at 73.7 mg/L. Real kettles and water heaters precipitate a fraction of that, but the ceiling scales with the number: Billings's soft water leaves little behind.
How this is calculated: grains per gallon = mg/L divided by 17.1; daily grain load = gpg x 300 US gallons (the softener trade sizes in US gallons, four-person household); regeneration interval = 32,000 grains divided by the daily load; scale ceiling = mg/L carried per 1,000 L. The input figure is Ontario Clean Water Agency / Township of Billings's own published number, checked 2026-07-03. Full method on the methodology page.
Billings water hardness questions
How hard is the water in Billings?
Billings's tap water is soft, about 73.7 mg/L as calcium carbonate (4.3 grains per gallon), drawn from lake huron via mudge bay (north channel) raw water intake. Figure from Ontario Clean Water Agency / Township of Billings, last checked 2026-07-03.
Do I need a water softener in Billings?
Probably not. Billings water is soft, so most homes get by without one. A simple test kit settles it if you are unsure.
How does Billings compare with nearby towns?
Closest verified figures: Perth at 79.6 mg/L mg/L, Kapuskasing at 80 mg/L, Deseronto at 98 mg/L. Billings sits at 73.7 mg/L, all measured as calcium carbonate.
Source
Source: Ontario Clean Water Agency / Township of Billings, last checked 2026-07-03. Hardness varies by neighbourhood, season, and which well or plant serves your street, especially on groundwater systems. These are the municipal published figures as of the verified date, good for planning, not a substitute for a home test or your utility's current report.
Compare nearby verified figures: Perth (79.6 mg/L mg/L), Kapuskasing (80 mg/L), Deseronto (98 mg/L). Or see every municipality.