Hard water in Ithaca, NY

Tap water hardness
128mg/L
7.5gpg
Hard

Reported by Ithaca City · September 2025

NY typical
31 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
2
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

Tap water in Ithaca has about 128 mg/L of hardness, which is 7.5 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as hard. The number comes from Ithaca City, dated September 2025.

Ithaca on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NY typical 31Binghamton: 61 mg/LBinghamton 61Fairmount: 105 mg/LFairmount 105Westvale: 105 mg/LWestvale 105DeWitt: 106 mg/LDeWitt 106Solvay: 108 mg/LSolvay 108Syracuse: 109 mg/LSyracuse 109Horseheads: 136 mg/LHorseheads 136Big Flats: 136 mg/LBig Flats 136Elmira: 136 mg/LElmira 136Auburn: 201 mg/LAuburn 201Ithaca 128mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NY 31Binghamton: 61 mg/LBinghamton 61Fairmount: 105 mg/LFairmount 105Horseheads: 136 mg/LHorseheads 136Big Flats: 136 mg/LBig Flats 136Elmira: 136 mg/LElmira 136Auburn: 201 mg/LAuburn 201128 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 128 mg/L, Ithaca is 97 mg/L above the typical New York figure of 31. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 6 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 61 mg/L in Binghamton to 201 in Auburn.

What 128 mg/L means at home

Expect white crust on faucets and showerheads, plus spots on dishes that come out of the dishwasher.

Kettles collect scale quickly. Water heaters build up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which makes them work harder over time.

Soap and detergent need a little more to lather, and soap scum shows up in the tub.

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

At 128 mg/L most of the trouble is scale, and only a few things deal with it.

Ion-exchange water softener

The standard whole-house fix. It swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium and needs salt plus a drain. Size it with the calculator below.

Salt-free conditioner

No salt and no drain line. It changes how minerals form scale instead of removing them, so water still tests hard.

Reverse osmosis or carbon filter

Under-sink reverse osmosis removes minerals from drinking water only. Plain carbon filters improve taste but do not soften.

Softener size for Ithaca

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 7.5 gpg = 1,685 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 14 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Ithaca's water system

Ithaca City · PWSID NY5404416

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 29,457 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
2
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Chlorine dioxide levelSurface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Chlorine dioxide levelSurface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Chlorine dioxide leveldisinfectant12020Resolved
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection12016Resolved

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 Ithaca water hard?

Yes. It measures about 128 mg/L (7.5 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as hard.

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

About 7.5 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 128 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 7.5.

What size water softener do I need in Ithaca?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 7.5 gpg works out to about 1,685 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 14 days.

Has the Ithaca water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Ithaca City since 2016, involving Chlorine dioxide level, Surface Water Treatment Rule. 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 (utility report, September 23, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.