Stoneham, MA water hardness

Tap water hardness
16mg/L
0.9gpg
Soft

Reported by Stoneham Water Dept (MWRA Supply) · October 2025

MA typical
38 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
Utility report

The water in Stoneham carries roughly 16 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 0.9 grains per gallon. That is soft water. The number comes from Stoneham Water Dept (MWRA Supply), dated October 2025.

Stoneham on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+MA typical 38Saugus: 10 mg/LSaugus 10Arlington: 17 mg/LArlington 17Melrose: 18 mg/LMelrose 18Winchester: 20 mg/LWinchester 20Medford: 21 mg/LMedford 21Reading: 22 mg/LReading 22Malden: 25 mg/LMalden 25Wakefield: 51 mg/LWakefield 51Lynnfield: 72 mg/LLynnfield 72Woburn: 99 mg/LWoburn 99Stoneham 16mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+MA 38Melrose: 18 mg/LMelrose 18Winchester: 20 mg/LWinchester 20Medford: 21 mg/LMedford 21Malden: 25 mg/LMalden 25Wakefield: 51 mg/LWakefield 51Woburn: 99 mg/LWoburn 9916 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 16 mg/L, Stoneham is 22 mg/L below the typical Massachusetts figure of 38. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 10 mg/L in Saugus to 99 in Woburn.

What 16 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 16 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 Stoneham's water system

Stoneham Water Dept (MWRA Supply) · PWSID MA3284000

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 23,244 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12018Resolved

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 Stoneham water hard?

No. It measures about 16 mg/L (0.9 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 0.9 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 16 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 0.9.

Has the Stoneham water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Stoneham Water Dept (MWRA Supply) since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule.

Nearby cities

All 104 cities in Massachusetts

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, October 1, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.