Hawthorne, NJ water hardness

Tap water hardness
5mg/L
0.3gpg
Soft

Reported by Hawthorne Water Department · February 2025

NJ typical
80 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Hawthorne has about 5 mg/L of hardness, which is 0.3 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as soft. The number comes from Hawthorne Water Department, dated February 2025.

Hawthorne on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Preakness: 44 mg/LPreakness 44Prospect Park: 64 mg/LProspect Park 64Paterson: 64 mg/LPaterson 64Franklin Lakes: 98 mg/LFranklin Lakes 98Glen Rock: 105 mg/LGlen Rock 105Midland Park: 105 mg/LMidland Park 105Ridgewood: 105 mg/LRidgewood 105Fair Lawn: 137 mg/LFair Lawn 137Elmwood Park: 212 mg/LElmwood Park 212Waldwick: 256 mg/LWaldwick 256Hawthorne 5mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Prospect Park: 64 mg/LProspect P. 64Paterson: 64 mg/LPaterson 64Glen Rock: 105 mg/LGlen Rock 105Midland Park: 105 mg/LMidland Pa. 105Ridgewood: 105 mg/LRidgewood 105Fair Lawn: 137 mg/LFair Lawn 1375 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 5 mg/L, Hawthorne is 75 mg/L below the typical New Jersey figure of 80. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 44 mg/L in Preakness to 256 in Waldwick.

What 5 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 5 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 Hawthorne's water system

Hawthorne Water Department · PWSID NJ1604001

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 19,458 people from groundwater.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
25
Open now
1
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Groundwater Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Groundwater Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Groundwater Ruletreatment of well water12022Resolved

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 Hawthorne water hard?

No. It measures about 5 mg/L (0.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 0.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 5 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 0.3.

Has the Hawthorne water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Hawthorne Water Department since 2016, involving Groundwater Rule. There were also 25 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, February 18, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.