How hard is the water in Glenshaw, PA?

Tap water hardness
88mg/L
5.1gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by West View Water Authority · September 2025

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

Tap water in Glenshaw has about 88 mg/L of hardness, which is 5.1 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from West View Water Authority, dated September 2025.

Glenshaw on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127West View: 82 mg/LWest View 82Bellevue: 82 mg/LBellevue 82McKees Rocks: 82 mg/LMcKees Rocks 82Franklin Park: 82 mg/LFranklin Park 82Allison Park: 88 mg/LAllison Park 88Oakmont: 90 mg/LOakmont 90Wilkinsburg: 90 mg/LWilkinsburg 90Pittsburgh: 100 mg/LPittsburgh 100Fox Chapel: 102 mg/LFox Chapel 102Crafton: 102 mg/LCrafton 102Glenshaw 88mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127West View: 82 mg/LWest View 82Bellevue: 82 mg/LBellevue 82McKees Rocks: 82 mg/LMcKees Roc. 82Allison Park: 88 mg/LAllison Pa. 88Pittsburgh: 100 mg/LPittsburgh 100Fox Chapel: 102 mg/LFox Chapel 10288 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Glenshaw sits 39 mg/L below the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 4 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 82 mg/L in West View to 102 in Fox Chapel.

What 88 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 Glenshaw

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.1 gpg = 1,154 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 20 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Glenshaw's water system

West View Water Authority · PWSID PA5020043

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 200,000 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
14
Open now
0

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

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Surface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Surface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection22018Resolved

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 Glenshaw water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 88 mg/L (5.1 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 5.1 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 88 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.1.

What size water softener do I need in Glenshaw?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.1 gpg works out to about 1,154 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 20 days.

Has the Glenshaw water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for West View Water Authority since 2016, involving Surface Water Treatment Rule. There were also 14 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 172 cities in Pennsylvania

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