What this means: Chicago sits in the middle of the listed cities. Expect scale on fixtures and in water heaters; it is a comfort and maintenance cost, not a health finding.
Pipes don’t add hardness; a softener already in your home removes it. The city report gives the starting point. A test strip confirms what reaches your tap.
How to test at homeSoftener sizing depends on your gpg and household use. A test strip, or the city's report above, is enough to start. You don't need a lab for hardness.
What it can’t tell you: It measures hardness only, so it tells you nothing about lead, PFAS or bacteria.
At 8.2 gpg, an efficiency-rated softener uses up to about:
Sources: Penn State Extension (2025) · NSF/ANSI 44 listings
Why: it removes calcium and magnesium for every tap and appliance, the proven fix for scale. A salt-free conditioner changes how scale forms instead, without removing the minerals.
★ Best choice: GE GXSH35W Water Softener (35,000-grain), certified for hardness.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best choice | Water softenerGE GXSH35W Water Softener (35,000-grain) | TreatshardnessTechnologyIon exchangePrice$$$ | Certified for Hardness / scale (NSF/ANSI 44, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names hardness, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Water softenerKenmore 420 Water Softener (40,000-grain) | TreatshardnessTechnologyIon exchangePrice$$$ | Certified for Hardness / scale (NSF/ANSI 44, NSF) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names hardness, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Water softeneriSpring WCSTB45KG Whole House Water SoftenerUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyIon exchangePrice$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for hardness | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also good | Water softenerWaterdrop WHR01 Water Softener | TechnologyIon exchangePrice$$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for hardness | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
★ Best available: Salt-Free Water Conditioner, the best fit here; nothing in this group is certified yet.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best available | Salt-free conditionerSalt-Free Water Conditioner | Price$$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for hardness | See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
Also: lead picks →
Renting? A test kit and the cost guide above are your best next steps.
PurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
Local help
A local plumber can look at your home and install a water softener or whole-home system.
CHICAGO's latest water-quality report puts hardness at 8.2 grains per gallon (140 mg/L as calcium carbonate), which is hard. Water above about 7 gpg is generally considered hard.
8.2 grains per gallon, in the USGS "hard" band. On that scale soft is below 3.5 gpg, moderately hard 3.5–7, hard 7–10.5 and very hard above 10.5.
Hardness (calcium and magnesium) has no federal health-based limit. It affects scale, soap and appliance life, not the safety of the water. Softening adds some sodium, which matters for people on low-sodium diets.
At 8.2 gpg, many households choose a softener to cut scale on fixtures, water heaters and appliances. It is a comfort and maintenance choice, not a health requirement.
The softener itself costs about $500–$1,500 (Penn State Extension); installation is quoted locally. At 8.2 gpg, an efficiency-rated softener for a 3-person home uses up to about 200 lb of salt a year (about 5 40-lb bags) and 3,400 gallons of water to regenerate.
NSF/ANSI 44, the standard for water softeners, checked for the exact model in the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO). Its "Efficiency Rated" models use less salt and regeneration water.
No. A softener exchanges calcium and magnesium; it is not a lead or PFAS treatment. For those, use a drinking-water filter whose current certification names them, such as NSF/ANSI 53 or 58.
Yes. Penn State Extension puts it at about 7.5 mg of sodium per quart for each gpg removed, so softening water at 8.2 gpg adds about 61 mg per quart. That matters mainly for people on a low-sodium diet.
Yes. A hardness test strip gives a reading in grains per gallon within minutes, which is all you need to size a softener; hardness doesn't need a lab test.
It depends on what you want. A salt-free conditioner changes how scale forms but does not remove the calcium and magnesium, so a test still reads hard. An ion-exchange softener removes them for every tap and appliance.