How hard is the water in Rochester, NY?

Tap water hardness
105mg/L
6.1gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by McWa · August 2025

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

Tap water in Rochester has about 105 mg/L of hardness, which is 6.1 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from McWa, dated August 2025.

Rochester on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+NY typical 31Harris Hill: 109 mg/LHarris Hill 109Lancaster: 109 mg/LLancaster 109East Aurora: 109 mg/LEast Aurora 109Irondequoit: 112 mg/LIrondequoit 112North Gates: 112 mg/LNorth Gates 112Greece: 112 mg/LGreece 112Hilton: 112 mg/LHilton 112Newark: 135 mg/LNewark 135Lockport: 167 mg/LLockport 167Auburn: 201 mg/LAuburn 201Rochester 105mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+NY 31Irondequoit: 112 mg/LIrondequoit 112North Gates: 112 mg/LNorth Gates 112Greece: 112 mg/LGreece 112Hilton: 112 mg/LHilton 112Newark: 135 mg/LNewark 135Lockport: 167 mg/LLockport 167105 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Rochester sits 74 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 109 mg/L in Harris Hill to 201 in Auburn.

What 105 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 Rochester

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 6.1 gpg = 1,377 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 17 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Rochester's water system

McWa · PWSID NY2701047

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 525,262 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
1
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 sampling120251 open

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 Rochester water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 105 mg/L (6.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 6.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 105 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 6.1.

What size water softener do I need in Rochester?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 6.1 gpg works out to about 1,377 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 17 days.

Has the Rochester water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for McWa since 2016, involving Lead and Copper Rule.

Nearby cities

All 149 cities in New York

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, August 5, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.