Norwood, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
46mg/L
2.7gpg
SoftReports range 46–83

Reported by Norwood Water Dept. (MWRA) · September 2025

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

Tap water in Norwood has about 46 mg/L of hardness, which is 2.7 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Norwood Water Dept. (MWRA), dated September 2025. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 46 to 83 mg/L.

Norwood on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Brookline: 19 mg/LBrookline 19Milton: 44 mg/LMilton 44Sharon: 47 mg/LSharon 47Foxborough: 48 mg/LFoxborough 48Walpole: 66 mg/LWalpole 66Randolph: 68 mg/LRandolph 68Wellesley: 89 mg/LWellesley 89Medfield: 95 mg/LMedfield 95Needham: 96 mg/LNeedham 96Dedham: 110 mg/LDedham 110Norwood 46mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Milton: 44 mg/LMilton 44Sharon: 47 mg/LSharon 47Walpole: 66 mg/LWalpole 66Medfield: 95 mg/LMedfield 95Needham: 96 mg/LNeedham 96Dedham: 110 mg/LDedham 11046 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 46 mg/L, Norwood is close to the typical Massachusetts figure of 38 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 8 have harder. The range nearby runs from 19 mg/L in Brookline to 110 in Dedham.

What 46 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 46 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 Norwood's water system

Norwood Water Dept. (MWRA) · PWSID MA4220000

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 29,909 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
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 Norwood water hard?

No. It measures about 46 mg/L (2.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 2.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 46 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 2.7.

Has the Norwood water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Norwood Water Dept. (MWRA) since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, September 22, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.