How hard is the water in Paterson, 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 Paterson 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.

Paterson on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NJ typical 80Hawthorne: 5 mg/LHawthorne 5Preakness: 44 mg/LPreakness 44Prospect Park: 64 mg/LProspect Park 64Clifton: 64 mg/LClifton 64Passaic: 64 mg/LPassaic 64Glen Rock: 105 mg/LGlen Rock 105Fair Lawn: 137 mg/LFair Lawn 137Elmwood Park: 212 mg/LElmwood Park 212Garfield: 212 mg/LGarfield 212Lodi: 212 mg/LLodi 212Paterson 64mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NJ 80Hawthorne: 5 mg/LHawthorne 5Preakness: 44 mg/LPreakness 44Prospect Park: 64 mg/LProspect P. 64Clifton: 64 mg/LClifton 64Fair Lawn: 137 mg/LFair Lawn 137Elmwood Park: 212 mg/LElmwood Pa. 21264 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Paterson sits 16 mg/L below the typical New Jersey figure of 80. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 5 mg/L in Hawthorne to 212 in Elmwood Park.

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 Paterson

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

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 sampling12021Resolved

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 Paterson 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 Paterson 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 Paterson?

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 Paterson 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.