Austin's lake water is moderately hard, but drive 16 miles north and Round Rock's water is more than twice as hard. Here is what each means for glass, fixtures and appliances.
Ask about hard water in the Austin area and the answer depends on which utility fills your pipes. Austin Water's report puts the city in the moderate range. Round Rock's report puts it well into hard water, and says plainly that the level can cause water spots.
This guide compares the two, explains where the minerals show up in a home, and lays out the routine that keeps glass and fixtures clear.
Austin Water's 2025 water quality report lists total hardness from 70 to 126 parts per million, with an average of 93 ppm, or about 5.4 grains per gallon. That is moderate. Glass shower doors and dark faucets will show film over a few weeks, not a few days.
The water comes from the Lower Colorado River as it flows through Lake Travis and Lake Austin, and it is treated at the Handcox, Davis and Ullrich plants. Because readings in the report range from 70 to 126 ppm, the film is not always the same, and a glass door that stayed clear for weeks may start spotting sooner at other times.
Round Rock's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report puts average hardness at 249 mg/L, about 14.55 grains per gallon. The report says this level can cause minor aesthetic problems such as water spots and dry skin, though it does not damage plumbing.
The city's primary source is Lake Georgetown, with water pumped in from Lake Stillhouse Hollow when needed and the Edwards Aquifer and Lake Travis as supplements. For a household that moves from central Austin to Round Rock, the difference is obvious within a week: glass doors cloud faster, faucet bases build white crust, and the kettle starts to scale.
Hard water leaves its minerals wherever it dries. In both cities, the same handful of spots show it first:
In July and August, normal highs at Camp Mabry sit near 97 and 98 degrees, and the city averages about 123 days a year at 90 or more. Water on a sink rim or a patio door dries quickly in that heat, and minerals left behind bake on harder. Wiping wet surfaces dry is more important here in summer than in winter.
If your home has a water softener, or only an under-sink filter for drinking water, say which. A softener changes what reaches the shower and the dishwasher, so tell your cleaner if you have one: glass that stays clear needs less treatment, and the visit can focus elsewhere.
If you do not have a softener, mention which rooms show the worst film. In a Round Rock home it is usually the main bathroom shower and the kitchen faucet, and in an Austin home it is often a dark matte fixture or a glass door that nobody squeegees.
Daily habits do most of the work. Squeegee the shower glass after the last shower of the day, wipe faucets dry with a microfiber cloth, and leave the shower door open so the enclosure dries.
Weekly, wipe fixtures with a diluted white vinegar solution and rinse, keeping vinegar off natural stone such as marble or travertine. Descale the kettle and coffee maker monthly in Round Rock, and every couple of months in Austin.
A One-Time Deep Clean treats shower glass for water spots and details faucets around the base and handles, which resets a bathroom that has gotten ahead of you. A Recurring House Clean keeps fixtures polished between those resets. The deep cleaning guide has the full list of what that visit covers.
The questions Austin homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Austin and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
