How hard is the water in Lakewood, NJ?

Tap water hardness
64mg/L
3.7gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by NJ American Water - Coastal North · October 2025

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

Lakewood water measures 64 mg/L (3.7 gpg) of hardness, moderately hard by USGS standards. The number comes from NJ American Water - Coastal North, dated October 2025.

Lakewood on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Toms River: 13 mg/LToms River 13Belmar: 61 mg/LBelmar 61West Freehold: 64 mg/LWest Freehold 64Freehold: 64 mg/LFreehold 64East Freehold: 64 mg/LEast Freehold 64Tinton Falls: 64 mg/LTinton Falls 64Asbury Park: 64 mg/LAsbury Park 64Point Pleasant: 65 mg/LPoint Pleasant 65Manasquan: 77 mg/LManasquan 77Ramtown: 84 mg/LRamtown 84Lakewood 64mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Toms River: 13 mg/LToms River 13Belmar: 61 mg/LBelmar 61West Freehold: 64 mg/LWest Freeh. 64Point Pleasant: 65 mg/LPoint Plea. 65Manasquan: 77 mg/LManasquan 77Ramtown: 84 mg/LRamtown 8464 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 64 mg/L, Lakewood is 16 mg/L below the typical New Jersey figure of 80. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 3 have harder. The range nearby runs from 13 mg/L in Toms River to 84 in Ramtown.

What 64 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 Lakewood

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.7 gpg = 839 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 28 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Lakewood's water system

NJ American Water - Coastal North · PWSID NJ1345001

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 377,613 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0

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

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection12019Resolved

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 Lakewood water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 64 mg/L (3.7 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 3.7 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 64 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.7.

What size water softener do I need in Lakewood?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.7 gpg works out to about 839 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 28 days.

Has the Lakewood water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for NJ American Water - Coastal North since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule. 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, October 7, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.