Northampton, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
55mg/L
3.2gpg
Soft

Reported by Northampton Water Division · January 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Northampton has about 55 mg/L of hardness, which is 3.2 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Northampton Water Division, dated January 2025.

Northampton on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Springfield: 24 mg/LSpringfield 24Amherst: 30 mg/LAmherst 30Chicopee: 42 mg/LChicopee 42Palmer: 45 mg/LPalmer 45Holyoke: 50 mg/LHolyoke 50Agawam: 60 mg/LAgawam 60Westfield: 88 mg/LWestfield 88West Springfield: 107 mg/LWest Springfield 107Adams: 108 mg/LAdams 108Easthampton: 121 mg/LEasthampton 121Northampton 55mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Amherst: 30 mg/LAmherst 30Chicopee: 42 mg/LChicopee 42Holyoke: 50 mg/LHolyoke 50Westfield: 88 mg/LWestfield 88West Springfield: 107 mg/LWest Sprin. 107Easthampton: 121 mg/LEasthampton 12155 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 55 mg/L, Northampton is 17 mg/L above the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 24 mg/L in Springfield to 121 in Easthampton.

What 55 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 55 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 Northampton's water system

Northampton Water Division · PWSID MA1214000

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 29,571 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
1
Open now
0

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 Northampton water hard?

No. It measures about 55 mg/L (3.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 3.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 55 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.2.

Has the Northampton water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Northampton Water Division since 2016. 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, January 6, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.