How hard is the water in Passaic, NJ?

Tap water hardness

64mg/L

3.7gpg

Moderately hard

Reported by Passaic Valley Water Commission · September 2025

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

The water in Passaic carries roughly 64 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.7 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Passaic Valley Water Commission, dated September 2025.

Passaic on the hardness scale, with nearby cities

Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Passaic sits 16 mg/L below the typical New Jersey figure of 80. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 7 have harder. The range nearby runs from 43 mg/L in Brookdale to 212 in Garfield.

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 Passaic

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 Passaic's water system

Passaic Valley Water Commission · PWSID NJ1605002

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 310,483 people from surface water.

Health-based: 1
Monitoring or reporting: 4
Open now: 0

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

Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.

Contaminant or rule	Violations	Period	Status
Lead and Copper Rulecorrosion control and lead sampling	1	2021	Resolved

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 Passaic 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 Passaic 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 Passaic?

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 Passaic water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Passaic Valley Water Commission since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule. There were also 4 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 21, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.