Lawrence, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
32mg/L
1.8gpg
Soft

Reported by Lawrence Water Works · May 2025

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

Tap water in Lawrence has about 32 mg/L of hardness, which is 1.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Lawrence Water Works, dated May 2025.

Lawrence on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Reading: 22 mg/LReading 22Andover: 38 mg/LAndover 38Haverhill: 40 mg/LHaverhill 40Lowell: 43 mg/LLowell 43Methuen: 49 mg/LMethuen 49Pinehurst: 62 mg/LPinehurst 62Wilmington: 68 mg/LWilmington 68Lynnfield: 72 mg/LLynnfield 72Burlington: 104 mg/LBurlington 104Danvers: 130 mg/LDanvers 130Lawrence 32mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Reading: 22 mg/LReading 22Andover: 38 mg/LAndover 38Haverhill: 40 mg/LHaverhill 40Lowell: 43 mg/LLowell 43Methuen: 49 mg/LMethuen 49Wilmington: 68 mg/LWilmington 6832 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 32 mg/L, Lawrence is close to the typical Massachusetts figure of 38 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 22 mg/L in Reading to 130 in Danvers.

What 32 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 32 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 Lawrence's water system

Lawrence Water Works · PWSID MA3149000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 89,143 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0
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 sampling12016Resolved

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 Lawrence water hard?

No. It measures about 32 mg/L (1.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 32 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.8.

Has the Lawrence water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Lawrence Water Works since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 2 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, May 19, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.