How hard is the water in Binghamton, NY?

Tap water hardness
61mg/L
3.6gpg
Moderately hardCounty estimate

County estimate from 281 water samples in Broome County · July 2026

NY typical
31 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Binghamton put hardness at about 61 mg/L (3.6 gpg), which would be moderately hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 281 samples taken across Broome County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Binghamton's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Binghamton's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Binghamton on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NY typical 31Westvale: 105 mg/LWestvale 105Fairmount: 105 mg/LFairmount 105DeWitt: 106 mg/LDeWitt 106Solvay: 108 mg/LSolvay 108Syracuse: 109 mg/LSyracuse 109Ithaca: 128 mg/LIthaca 128Elmira: 136 mg/LElmira 136Horseheads: 136 mg/LHorseheads 136Big Flats: 136 mg/LBig Flats 136Auburn: 201 mg/LAuburn 201Binghamton 61mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NY 31DeWitt: 106 mg/LDeWitt 106Syracuse: 109 mg/LSyracuse 109Ithaca: 128 mg/LIthaca 128Elmira: 136 mg/LElmira 136Horseheads: 136 mg/LHorseheads 136Big Flats: 136 mg/LBig Flats 13661 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Binghamton sits 30 mg/L above the typical New York figure of 31. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 105 mg/L in Westvale to 201 in Auburn.

What 61 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 Binghamton

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.6 gpg = 803 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 29 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Binghamton's water system

Binghamton, City of · PWSID NY0301651

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 47,600 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Binghamton.

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 Binghamton water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 61 mg/L (3.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 3.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 61 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.6.

What size water softener do I need in Binghamton?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.6 gpg works out to about 803 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 29 days.

Has the Binghamton water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Binghamton, City of since 2016. There were also 2 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 149 cities in New York

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.