How hard is the water in Kearny, NJ?

Tap water hardness
106mg/L
6.2gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Kearny Water Department · July 2025

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

Tap water in Kearny has about 106 mg/L of hardness, which is 6.2 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Kearny Water Department, dated July 2025.

Kearny on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Harrison: 37 mg/LHarrison 37Newark: 37 mg/LNewark 37Watsessing: 43 mg/LWatsessing 43Jersey City: 73 mg/LJersey City 73Hoboken: 76 mg/LHoboken 76Secaucus: 96 mg/LSecaucus 96Rutherford: 96 mg/LRutherford 96Union City: 96 mg/LUnion City 96East Rutherford: 96 mg/LEast Rutherford 96East Orange: 171 mg/LEast Orange 171Kearny 106mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Harrison: 37 mg/LHarrison 37Newark: 37 mg/LNewark 37Watsessing: 43 mg/LWatsessing 43Jersey City: 73 mg/LJersey City 73Secaucus: 96 mg/LSecaucus 96East Orange: 171 mg/LEast Orange 171106 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Kearny sits 26 mg/L above the typical New Jersey figure of 80. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 9 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 37 mg/L in Harrison to 171 in East Orange.

What 106 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 Kearny

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.2 gpg = 1,395 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 17 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Kearny's water system

Kearny Water Department · PWSID NJ0907001

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 41,664 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
3
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 sampling12023Resolved

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 Kearny water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 106 mg/L (6.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 106 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.2.

What size water softener do I need in Kearny?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.2 gpg works out to about 1,395 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 17 days.

Has the Kearny water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Kearny Water Department since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 3 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 16, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.