Kingston, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
39mg/L
2.3gpg
Soft

Reported by Kingston Water Department · September 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
Utility report

The water in Kingston carries roughly 39 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 2.3 grains per gallon. That is soft water. The number comes from Kingston Water Department, dated September 2025.

Kingston on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Plymouth: 26 mg/LPlymouth 26Weymouth: 28 mg/LWeymouth 28North Scituate: 35 mg/LNorth Scituate 35Middleborough Center: 42 mg/LMiddleborough Center 42Brockton: 49 mg/LBrockton 49Bridgewater: 62 mg/LBridgewater 62Abington: 67 mg/LAbington 67Scituate: 68 mg/LScituate 68Holbrook: 74 mg/LHolbrook 74Hingham: 123 mg/LHingham 123Kingston 39mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Plymouth: 26 mg/LPlymouth 26North Scituate: 35 mg/LNorth Scit. 35Middleborough Center: 42 mg/LMiddleboro. 42Bridgewater: 62 mg/LBridgewater 62Abington: 67 mg/LAbington 67Scituate: 68 mg/LScituate 6839 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 39 mg/L, Kingston is close to the typical Massachusetts figure of 38 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 26 mg/L in Plymouth to 123 in Hingham.

What 39 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 39 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 Kingston's water system

Kingston Water Department · PWSID MA4145000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 14,715 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
5
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12022Resolved

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 Kingston water hard?

No. It measures about 39 mg/L (2.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 2.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 39 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 2.3.

Has the Kingston water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Kingston Water Department since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. There were also 5 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 (utility report, September 16, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.