Gardner, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
41mg/L
2.4gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 1,754 water samples in Worcester County · July 2026

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Gardner put hardness at about 41 mg/L (2.4 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 1,754 samples taken across Worcester County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Gardner's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Gardner's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Gardner on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Leominster: 10 mg/LLeominster 10Clinton: 14 mg/LClinton 14Amherst: 30 mg/LAmherst 30Fitchburg: 41 mg/LFitchburg 41Worcester: 42 mg/LWorcester 42Palmer: 45 mg/LPalmer 45West Concord: 57 mg/LWest Concord 57Marlborough: 67 mg/LMarlborough 67Maynard: 86 mg/LMaynard 86Northborough: 110 mg/LNorthborough 110Gardner 41mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Leominster: 10 mg/LLeominster 10Clinton: 14 mg/LClinton 14Fitchburg: 41 mg/LFitchburg 41Worcester: 42 mg/LWorcester 42Marlborough: 67 mg/LMarlborough 67Northborough: 110 mg/LNorthborou. 11041 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 41 mg/L, Gardner is close to the typical Massachusetts figure of 38 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 6 have harder. The range nearby runs from 10 mg/L in Leominster to 110 in Northborough.

What 41 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 41 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 Gardner's water system

Gardner Water Department · PWSID MA2103000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 21,381 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Gardner.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection12022Resolved

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 Gardner water hard?

No. It measures about 41 mg/L (2.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 2.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 41 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 2.4.

Has the Gardner water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Gardner Water Department since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.