How hard is the water in Hanover, PA?

Tap water hardness
75mg/L
4.4gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Hanover Muni Water Works · July 2023

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

Tap water in Hanover has about 75 mg/L of hardness, which is 4.4 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Hanover Muni Water Works, dated July 2023.

Hanover on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127Parkville: 75 mg/LParkville 75Shiloh: 83 mg/LShiloh 83West York: 83 mg/LWest York 83York: 83 mg/LYork 83East York: 83 mg/LEast York 83Mechanicsburg: 120 mg/LMechanicsburg 120Lower Allen: 128 mg/LLower Allen 128New Cumberland: 128 mg/LNew Cumberland 128Camp Hill: 128 mg/LCamp Hill 128Carlisle: 176 mg/LCarlisle 176Hanover 75mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127Parkville: 75 mg/LParkville 75Shiloh: 83 mg/LShiloh 83West York: 83 mg/LWest York 83York: 83 mg/LYork 83East York: 83 mg/LEast York 83Mechanicsburg: 120 mg/LMechanicsb. 12075 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 75 mg/L, Hanover is 52 mg/L below the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 75 mg/L in Parkville to 176 in Carlisle.

What 75 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 Hanover

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.4 gpg = 983 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 24 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Hanover's water system

Hanover Muni Water Works · PWSID PA7670076

2 health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 40,900 people from surface water.

Health-based
2
Monitoring or reporting
15
Open now
0
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total organic carbon removalSurface Water Treatment Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total organic carbon removalSurface Water Treatment Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total organic carbon removaltreatment requirement12018Resolved
Surface Water Treatment Rulefiltration and disinfection12018Resolved

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 Hanover water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 75 mg/L (4.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 75 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.4.

What size water softener do I need in Hanover?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.4 gpg works out to about 983 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 24 days.

Has the Hanover water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 2 health-based violations for Hanover Muni Water Works since 2016, involving Total organic carbon removal, Surface Water Treatment Rule. There were also 15 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, July 3, 2023), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.