How hard is the water in Franklin Lakes, NJ?

Tap water hardness
98mg/L
5.7gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Veolia Water New Jersey Franklin Lakes · September 2025

NJ typical
80 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Franklin Lakes has about 98 mg/L of hardness, which is 5.7 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Veolia Water New Jersey Franklin Lakes, dated September 2025.

Franklin Lakes on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Hawthorne: 5 mg/LHawthorne 5Pompton Lakes: 44 mg/LPompton Lakes 44Preakness: 44 mg/LPreakness 44Packanack Lake: 44 mg/LPackanack Lake 44Prospect Park: 64 mg/LProspect Park 64Midland Park: 105 mg/LMidland Park 105Ridgewood: 105 mg/LRidgewood 105Glen Rock: 105 mg/LGlen Rock 105Ramsey: 131 mg/LRamsey 131Waldwick: 256 mg/LWaldwick 256Franklin Lakes 98mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Hawthorne: 5 mg/LHawthorne 5Pompton Lakes: 44 mg/LPompton La. 44Prospect Park: 64 mg/LProspect P. 64Midland Park: 105 mg/LMidland Pa. 105Ramsey: 131 mg/LRamsey 131Waldwick: 256 mg/LWaldwick 25698 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Franklin Lakes sits 18 mg/L above the typical New Jersey figure of 80. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 5 mg/L in Hawthorne to 256 in Waldwick.

What 98 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 Franklin Lakes

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.7 gpg = 1,285 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 18 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Franklin Lakes's water system

Veolia Water New Jersey Franklin Lakes · PWSID NJ0220001

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 5,038 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0

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

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 Franklin Lakes water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 98 mg/L (5.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 98 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.7.

What size water softener do I need in Franklin Lakes?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.7 gpg works out to about 1,285 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 18 days.

Has the Franklin Lakes water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Veolia Water New Jersey Franklin Lakes since 2016. There were also 2 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, September 30, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.