Hard water in East Franklin, NJ

Tap water hardness
235mg/L
13.7gpg
Very hard

Reported by Franklin Township Dept of Public Works · July 2025

NJ typical
80 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

East Franklin water measures 235 mg/L (13.7 gpg) of hardness, very hard by USGS standards. The number comes from Franklin Township Dept of Public Works, dated July 2025.

East Franklin on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Highland Park: 63 mg/LHighland Park 63New Brunswick: 66 mg/LNew Brunswick 66Milltown: 66 mg/LMilltown 66Rutgers University-Busch Campus: 100 mg/LRutgers University-Busch Campus 100Middlesex: 100 mg/LMiddlesex 100Bound Brook: 100 mg/LBound Brook 100South Plainfield: 102 mg/LSouth Plainfield 102Franklin Center: 111 mg/LFranklin Center 111Somerset: 169 mg/LSomerset 169Franklin Park: 235 mg/LFranklin Park 235East Franklin 235mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Highland Park: 63 mg/LHighland P. 63New Brunswick: 66 mg/LNew Brunsw. 66Milltown: 66 mg/LMilltown 66Rutgers University-Busch Campus: 100 mg/LRutgers Un. 100Franklin Center: 111 mg/LFranklin C. 111Somerset: 169 mg/LSomerset 169235 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 235 mg/L, East Franklin is 155 mg/L above the typical New Jersey figure of 80. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 63 mg/L in Highland Park to 235 in Franklin Park.

What 235 mg/L means at home

Scale forms fast here. Kettles and coffee makers need regular descaling, and showerheads clog unless you clean them.

Tank water heaters collect mineral sediment that insulates the water from the burner, so flushing the tank matters more than usual.

Dishes and glass shower doors spot easily. Soap scum and a dull film on hair or laundry are common complaints.

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

At 235 mg/L most of the trouble is scale, and only a few things deal with it.

Ion-exchange water softener

The standard whole-house fix. It swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and needs salt plus a drain. Size it with the calculator below.

Salt-free conditioner

No salt and no drain line. It changes how minerals form scale instead of removing them, so water still tests hard.

Reverse osmosis or carbon filter

Under-sink reverse osmosis removes minerals from drinking water only. Plain carbon filters improve taste but do not soften.

Softener size for East Franklin

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 13.7 gpg = 3,092 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 7 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for East Franklin's water system

Franklin Township Dept of Public Works · PWSID NJ1808001

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 57,150 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
32
Open now
3

TapWaterData ties East Franklin to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name East Franklin, so check the utility printed on your water bill.

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 sampling22021Resolved

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 East Franklin water hard?

Yes. It measures about 235 mg/L (13.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as very hard.

What is the water hardness in East Franklin in grains per gallon?

About 13.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 235 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 13.7.

What size water softener do I need in East Franklin?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 13.7 gpg works out to about 3,092 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 7 days.

Has the East Franklin water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Franklin Township Dept of Public Works since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 32 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, July 31, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.