How hard is the water in Hazleton, PA?

Tap water hardness
74mg/L
4.3gpg
Moderately hardCounty estimate

County estimate from 1,170 water samples in Luzerne County · July 2026

PA typical
127 mg/L
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Hazleton put hardness at about 74 mg/L (4.3 gpg), which would be moderately hard on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 1,170 samples taken across Luzerne County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Hazleton's treated tap water.

Hazleton on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127Mountain Top: 29 mg/LMountain Top 29Nanticoke: 29 mg/LNanticoke 29Plymouth: 29 mg/LPlymouth 29Wilkes-Barre: 29 mg/LWilkes-Barre 29Kingston: 29 mg/LKingston 29Swoyersville: 29 mg/LSwoyersville 29Exeter: 29 mg/LExeter 29Pittston: 29 mg/LPittston 29Duryea: 29 mg/LDuryea 29Northampton: 57 mg/LNorthampton 57Hazleton 74mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127Mountain Top: 29 mg/LMountain T. 29Nanticoke: 29 mg/LNanticoke 29Plymouth: 29 mg/LPlymouth 29Wilkes-Barre: 29 mg/LWilkes-Bar. 29Kingston: 29 mg/LKingston 29Swoyersville: 29 mg/LSwoyersvil. 2974 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 74 mg/L, Hazleton is 53 mg/L below the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 29 mg/L in Mountain Top to 57 in Northampton.

What 74 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 Hazleton

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.3 gpg = 974 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 24 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Hazleton's water system

We could not match Hazleton 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 Hazleton water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 74 mg/L (4.3 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.3 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 74 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.3.

What size water softener do I need in Hazleton?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.3 gpg works out to about 974 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 24 days.

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.