How hard is the water in Newburyport, MA?

Tap water hardness
100mg/L
5.8gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Newburyport Water Department · August 2025

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

Tap water in Newburyport has about 100 mg/L of hardness, which is 5.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Newburyport Water Department, dated August 2025.

Newburyport on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Lawrence: 32 mg/LLawrence 32Andover: 38 mg/LAndover 38Amesbury: 40 mg/LAmesbury 40Haverhill: 40 mg/LHaverhill 40Methuen: 49 mg/LMethuen 49Beverly: 70 mg/LBeverly 70Gloucester: 71 mg/LGloucester 71Salisbury: 107 mg/LSalisbury 107Peabody: 128 mg/LPeabody 128Danvers: 130 mg/LDanvers 130Newburyport 100mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Lawrence: 32 mg/LLawrence 32Amesbury: 40 mg/LAmesbury 40Haverhill: 40 mg/LHaverhill 40Methuen: 49 mg/LMethuen 49Gloucester: 71 mg/LGloucester 71Salisbury: 107 mg/LSalisbury 107100 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 100 mg/L, Newburyport is 62 mg/L above the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 7 have softer water and 3 have harder. The range nearby runs from 32 mg/L in Lawrence to 130 in Danvers.

What 100 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 Newburyport

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.8 gpg = 1,316 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 18 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Newburyport's water system

Newburyport Water Department · PWSID MA3206000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 20,335 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)'16'18'20'22'24'26Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct12018Resolved

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 Newburyport water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 100 mg/L (5.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 100 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.8.

What size water softener do I need in Newburyport?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.8 gpg works out to about 1,316 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 18 days.

Has the Newburyport water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Newburyport Water Department since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM). 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, August 13, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.