Medford, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
21mg/L
1.2gpg
Soft

Reported by Medford Water Dept. (MWRA) · September 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Medford has about 21 mg/L of hardness, which is 1.2 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Medford Water Dept. (MWRA), dated September 2025.

Medford on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Everett: 16 mg/LEverett 16Stoneham: 16 mg/LStoneham 16Belmont: 16 mg/LBelmont 16Chelsea: 16 mg/LChelsea 16Arlington: 17 mg/LArlington 17Melrose: 18 mg/LMelrose 18Somerville: 20 mg/LSomerville 20Winchester: 20 mg/LWinchester 20Malden: 25 mg/LMalden 25Cambridge: 60 mg/LCambridge 60Medford 21mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Everett: 16 mg/LEverett 16Arlington: 17 mg/LArlington 17Somerville: 20 mg/LSomerville 20Winchester: 20 mg/LWinchester 20Malden: 25 mg/LMalden 25Cambridge: 60 mg/LCambridge 6021 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Medford sits 17 mg/L below 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 16 mg/L in Everett to 60 in Cambridge.

What 21 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 21 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 Medford's water system

Medford Water Dept. (MWRA) · PWSID MA3176000

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 61,700 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
1
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 sampling22023Resolved

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 Medford water hard?

No. It measures about 21 mg/L (1.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 21 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.2.

Has the Medford water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Medford Water Dept. (MWRA) since 2016, involving Lead and Copper 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, September 1, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.