Andover, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
38mg/L
2.2gpg
Soft

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · May 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Data
Calculated from utility data

The water in Andover carries roughly 38 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 2.2 grains per gallon. That is soft water. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (May 2025).

Andover on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Reading: 22 mg/LReading 22Lawrence: 32 mg/LLawrence 32Haverhill: 40 mg/LHaverhill 40Lowell: 43 mg/LLowell 43Methuen: 49 mg/LMethuen 49Wakefield: 51 mg/LWakefield 51Pinehurst: 62 mg/LPinehurst 62Wilmington: 68 mg/LWilmington 68Lynnfield: 72 mg/LLynnfield 72Burlington: 104 mg/LBurlington 104Andover 38mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Reading: 22 mg/LReading 22Lawrence: 32 mg/LLawrence 32Haverhill: 40 mg/LHaverhill 40Lowell: 43 mg/LLowell 43Methuen: 49 mg/LMethuen 49Wilmington: 68 mg/LWilmington 6838 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

At 38 mg/L, Andover is close to the typical Massachusetts figure of 38 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 8 have harder. The range nearby runs from 22 mg/L in Reading to 104 in Burlington.

What 38 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

Hardness is not a health problem, and EPA sets no limit for it. It is a matter of scale and soap.

What to do about it

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 38 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Andover's water system

Andover Water Dept · PWSID MA3009000

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 36,569 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Andover.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Lead and Copper Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Lead and Copper Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling22021–2022Resolved

Health-based means a contaminant above its legal limit or a missed treatment step. Monitoring and reporting violations are late or missing tests and notices. Source: EPA ECHO, 2026Q3 export, violations with periods starting 2016 or later. Full EPA record.

Questions

Is Andover water hard?

No. It measures about 38 mg/L (2.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

What is the water hardness in Andover in grains per gallon?

About 2.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 38 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 2.2.

Has the Andover water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Andover Water Dept since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 3 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, May 19, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.