How hard is the water in Medfield, MA?

Tap water hardness
95mg/L
5.6gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Medfield Water Dept. · July 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Medfield carries roughly 95 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 5.6 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Medfield Water Dept., dated July 2025.

Medfield on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Norwood: 46 mg/LNorwood 46Sharon: 47 mg/LSharon 47Foxborough: 48 mg/LFoxborough 48Framingham: 52 mg/LFramingham 52Walpole: 66 mg/LWalpole 66Franklin: 69 mg/LFranklin 69Wellesley: 89 mg/LWellesley 89Cochituate: 93 mg/LCochituate 93Needham: 96 mg/LNeedham 96Dedham: 110 mg/LDedham 110Medfield 95mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Norwood: 46 mg/LNorwood 46Sharon: 47 mg/LSharon 47Walpole: 66 mg/LWalpole 66Wellesley: 89 mg/LWellesley 89Needham: 96 mg/LNeedham 96Dedham: 110 mg/LDedham 11095 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 95 mg/L, Medfield is 57 mg/L above the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 8 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 46 mg/L in Norwood to 110 in Dedham.

What 95 mg/L means at home

You may see faint white spots on glasses and shower doors after the water dries.

Scale builds up slowly. A kettle or coffee maker needs descaling now and then, maybe every few months.

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

Optional. Plenty of households at this level live with it and descale the kettle now and then.

Water softener

Worth a look if spots on glass bother you, or if your tankless water heater manual asks for softer water.

Carbon filter

Improves taste and removes chlorine. It leaves calcium and magnesium in place.

Softener size for Medfield

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.6 gpg = 1,256 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 19 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Medfield's water system

Medfield Water Dept. · PWSID MA2175000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 12,713 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
1
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 Rulebacteria12018Resolved

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 Medfield water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 95 mg/L (5.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 95 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.6.

What size water softener do I need in Medfield?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.6 gpg works out to about 1,256 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 19 days.

Has the Medfield water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Medfield Water Dept. since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. There were also 1 monitoring or reporting violation, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, July 29, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.