Melrose, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
18mg/L
1.1gpg
Soft

Reported by Melrose Water Division (MWRA) · August 2025

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

Tap water in Melrose has about 18 mg/L of hardness, which is 1.1 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Melrose Water Division (MWRA), dated August 2025.

Melrose on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Saugus: 10 mg/LSaugus 10Stoneham: 16 mg/LStoneham 16Everett: 16 mg/LEverett 16Chelsea: 16 mg/LChelsea 16Winchester: 20 mg/LWinchester 20Somerville: 20 mg/LSomerville 20Medford: 21 mg/LMedford 21Malden: 25 mg/LMalden 25Wakefield: 51 mg/LWakefield 51Revere: 87 mg/LRevere 87Melrose 18mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Saugus: 10 mg/LSaugus 10Stoneham: 16 mg/LStoneham 16Everett: 16 mg/LEverett 16Medford: 21 mg/LMedford 21Malden: 25 mg/LMalden 25Wakefield: 51 mg/LWakefield 5118 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Melrose sits 20 mg/L below the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 4 have softer water and 6 have harder. The range nearby runs from 10 mg/L in Saugus to 87 in Revere.

What 18 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 18 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 Melrose's water system

Melrose Water Division (MWRA) · PWSID MA3178000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 29,938 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
0
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 sampling12021Resolved

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 Melrose water hard?

No. It measures about 18 mg/L (1.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 18 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.1.

Has the Melrose water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Melrose Water Division (MWRA) since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 12, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.