How hard is the water in Boonton, NJ?

Tap water hardness
92mg/L
5.4gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Boonton Water Dept · March 2024

NJ typical
80 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Boonton has about 92 mg/L of hardness, which is 5.4 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Boonton Water Dept, dated March 2024.

Boonton on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Kinnelon: 37 mg/LKinnelon 37Rockaway: 123 mg/LRockaway 123Whippany: 148 mg/LWhippany 148Morris Plains: 148 mg/LMorris Plains 148Towaco: 180 mg/LTowaco 180Pine Brook: 180 mg/LPine Brook 180Lake Hiawatha: 208 mg/LLake Hiawatha 208Parsippany: 208 mg/LParsippany 208Troy Hills: 208 mg/LTroy Hills 208White Meadow Lake: 269 mg/LWhite Meadow Lake 269Boonton 92mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Kinnelon: 37 mg/LKinnelon 37Towaco: 180 mg/LTowaco 180Pine Brook: 180 mg/LPine Brook 180Lake Hiawatha: 208 mg/LLake Hiawa. 208Parsippany: 208 mg/LParsippany 208Troy Hills: 208 mg/LTroy Hills 20892 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 92 mg/L, Boonton is 12 mg/L above the typical New Jersey figure of 80. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 37 mg/L in Kinnelon to 269 in White Meadow Lake.

What 92 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 Boonton

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.4 gpg = 1,206 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 19 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Boonton's water system

Boonton Water Dept · PWSID NJ1401001

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 9,532 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
89
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Lead and Copper Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Lead and Copper Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling12022Resolved

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 Boonton water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 92 mg/L (5.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 92 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.4.

What size water softener do I need in Boonton?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.4 gpg works out to about 1,206 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 19 days.

Has the Boonton water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Boonton Water Dept since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 89 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 227 cities in New Jersey

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, March 22, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.