How hard is the water in Brookhaven, PA?

Tap water hardness
119mg/L
7.0gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Chester Water Authority · June 2025

PA typical
127 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Brookhaven carries roughly 119 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 7.0 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Chester Water Authority, dated June 2025.

Brookhaven on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127Village Green-Green Ridge: 119 mg/LVillage Green-Green Ridge 119Chester: 119 mg/LChester 119Boothwyn: 119 mg/LBoothwyn 119Woodlyn: 153 mg/LWoodlyn 153Swarthmore: 153 mg/LSwarthmore 153Media: 153 mg/LMedia 153Ridley Park: 153 mg/LRidley Park 153Folsom: 153 mg/LFolsom 153Prospect Park: 153 mg/LProspect Park 153Norwood: 153 mg/LNorwood 153Brookhaven 119mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127Village Green-Green Ridge: 119 mg/LVillage Gr. 119Chester: 119 mg/LChester 119Woodlyn: 153 mg/LWoodlyn 153Swarthmore: 153 mg/LSwarthmore 153Media: 153 mg/LMedia 153Ridley Park: 153 mg/LRidley Park 153119 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Brookhaven sits close to the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127 mg/L. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 119 mg/L in Village Green-Green Ridge to 153 in Woodlyn.

What 119 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 Brookhaven

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 7.0 gpg = 1,566 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 15 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Brookhaven's water system

Chester Water Authority · PWSID PA1230004

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 140,437 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

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

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 Brookhaven water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 119 mg/L (7.0 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 7.0 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 119 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 7.0.

What size water softener do I need in Brookhaven?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 7.0 gpg works out to about 1,566 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 15 days.

Has the Brookhaven water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Chester Water Authority since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 172 cities in Pennsylvania

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 16, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.