New Bedford, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
18mg/L
1.0gpg
Soft

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · February 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
Calculated from utility data

New Bedford water measures 18 mg/L (1.0 gpg) of hardness, soft by USGS standards. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (February 2025).

New Bedford on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Fall River: 8 mg/LFall River 8Plymouth: 26 mg/LPlymouth 26East Falmouth: 30 mg/LEast Falmouth 30Kingston: 39 mg/LKingston 39Middleborough Center: 42 mg/LMiddleborough Center 42Somerset: 45 mg/LSomerset 45Taunton: 47 mg/LTaunton 47Mansfield Center: 50 mg/LMansfield Center 50Attleboro: 56 mg/LAttleboro 56Bridgewater: 62 mg/LBridgewater 62New Bedford 18mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Fall River: 8 mg/LFall River 8East Falmouth: 30 mg/LEast Falmo. 30Middleborough Center: 42 mg/LMiddleboro. 42Somerset: 45 mg/LSomerset 45Taunton: 47 mg/LTaunton 47Bridgewater: 62 mg/LBridgewater 6218 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

New Bedford sits 20 mg/L below the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 8 mg/L in Fall River to 62 in Bridgewater.

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 New Bedford's water system

City of New Bedford Dpi · PWSID MA4201000

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 101,079 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving New Bedford.

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 New Bedford water hard?

No. It measures about 18 mg/L (1.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

What is the water hardness in New Bedford in grains per gallon?

About 1.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 18 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.0.

Has the New Bedford water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for City of New Bedford Dpi since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (calculated from utility data, February 27, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.