How hard is the water in Scituate, MA?

Tap water hardness
68mg/L
4.0gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Scituate Water Division · March 2024

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
8
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Scituate carries roughly 68 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 4.0 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Scituate Water Division, dated March 2024.

Scituate on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Plymouth: 26 mg/LPlymouth 26Weymouth: 28 mg/LWeymouth 28North Scituate: 35 mg/LNorth Scituate 35Quincy: 38 mg/LQuincy 38Kingston: 39 mg/LKingston 39Braintree: 55 mg/LBraintree 55Abington: 67 mg/LAbington 67Randolph: 68 mg/LRandolph 68Holbrook: 74 mg/LHolbrook 74Hingham: 123 mg/LHingham 123Scituate 68mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Weymouth: 28 mg/LWeymouth 28North Scituate: 35 mg/LNorth Scit. 35Kingston: 39 mg/LKingston 39Abington: 67 mg/LAbington 67Holbrook: 74 mg/LHolbrook 74Hingham: 123 mg/LHingham 12368 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 68 mg/L, Scituate is 30 mg/L above the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 7 have softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 26 mg/L in Plymouth to 123 in Hingham.

What 68 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 Scituate

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.0 gpg = 891 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 26 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Scituate's water system

Scituate Water Division · PWSID MA4264000

8 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 19,297 people from surface water.

Health-based
8
Monitoring or reporting
15
Open now
1
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)Surface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)Surface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)a disinfection byproduct72020–20261 open
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection12018Resolved

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 Scituate water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 68 mg/L (4.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 68 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.0.

What size water softener do I need in Scituate?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.0 gpg works out to about 891 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 26 days.

Has the Scituate water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 8 health-based violations for Scituate Water Division since 2016, involving Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Surface Water Treatment Rule. There were also 15 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, March 14, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.