How hard is the water in North Adams, MA?

Tap water hardness
65mg/L
3.8gpg
Moderately hard

Calculated from the utility's calcium and magnesium results · November 2024

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Calculated from utility data

Tap water in North Adams has about 65 mg/L of hardness, which is 3.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. TapWaterData worked it out from the calcium and magnesium levels the local utility reports (November 2024).

North Adams on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Pittsfield: 28 mg/LPittsfield 28Amherst: 30 mg/LAmherst 30Chicopee: 42 mg/LChicopee 42Holyoke: 50 mg/LHolyoke 50Northampton: 55 mg/LNorthampton 55Agawam: 60 mg/LAgawam 60Westfield: 88 mg/LWestfield 88West Springfield: 107 mg/LWest Springfield 107Adams: 108 mg/LAdams 108Easthampton: 121 mg/LEasthampton 121North Adams 65mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Pittsfield: 28 mg/LPittsfield 28Amherst: 30 mg/LAmherst 30Holyoke: 50 mg/LHolyoke 50Northampton: 55 mg/LNorthampton 55Adams: 108 mg/LAdams 108Easthampton: 121 mg/LEasthampton 12165 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

North Adams sits 27 mg/L above the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 28 mg/L in Pittsfield to 121 in Easthampton.

What 65 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 North Adams

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.8 gpg = 850 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 28 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for North Adams's water system

North Adams Water Dept · PWSID MA1209000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 13,000 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
32
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving North Adams.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Disinfection byproducts rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Disinfection byproducts rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Disinfection byproducts ruletreatment requirement12017Resolved

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 North Adams water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 65 mg/L (3.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in North Adams in grains per gallon?

About 3.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 65 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.8.

What size water softener do I need in North Adams?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.8 gpg works out to about 850 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 28 days.

Has the North Adams water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for North Adams Water Dept since 2016, involving Disinfection byproducts rule. There were also 32 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 (calculated from utility data, November 19, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.