Chambersburg, PA water hardness

Tap water hardness
54mg/L
3.2gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 374 water samples in Franklin County · July 2026

PA typical
127 mg/L
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Chambersburg put hardness at about 54 mg/L (3.2 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 374 samples taken across Franklin County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Chambersburg's treated tap water.

Chambersburg on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127Harrisburg: 40 mg/LHarrisburg 40Hanover: 75 mg/LHanover 75Parkville: 75 mg/LParkville 75Shiloh: 83 mg/LShiloh 83Mechanicsburg: 120 mg/LMechanicsburg 120Camp Hill: 128 mg/LCamp Hill 128Lower Allen: 128 mg/LLower Allen 128Enola: 128 mg/LEnola 128New Cumberland: 128 mg/LNew Cumberland 128Carlisle: 176 mg/LCarlisle 176Chambersburg 54mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127Hanover: 75 mg/LHanover 75Parkville: 75 mg/LParkville 75Mechanicsburg: 120 mg/LMechanicsb. 120Camp Hill: 128 mg/LCamp Hill 128Lower Allen: 128 mg/LLower Allen 128Carlisle: 176 mg/LCarlisle 17654 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Chambersburg sits 73 mg/L below the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 9 have harder. The range nearby runs from 40 mg/L in Harrisburg to 176 in Carlisle.

What 54 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 54 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Chambersburg's water system

We could not match Chambersburg to a community water system in EPA's records. Your water bill or the yearly Consumer Confidence Report names the system and its ID.

Questions

Is Chambersburg water hard?

No. It measures about 54 mg/L (3.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 3.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 54 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.2.

Nearby cities

All 172 cities in Pennsylvania

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.