How hard is the water in Sunbury, PA?

Tap water hardness
72mg/L
4.2gpg
Moderately hardReports range 58–72

Reported by Municipal Authority Sunbury · August 2024

PA typical
127 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
1
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Sunbury carries roughly 72 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 4.2 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Municipal Authority Sunbury, dated August 2024. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 58 to 72 mg/L.

Sunbury on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127Progress: 30 mg/LProgress 30Williamsport: 31 mg/LWilliamsport 31Harrisburg: 40 mg/LHarrisburg 40Lewisburg: 49 mg/LLewisburg 49Milton: 49 mg/LMilton 49Hazleton: 74 mg/LHazleton 74Enola: 128 mg/LEnola 128Camp Hill: 128 mg/LCamp Hill 128New Cumberland: 128 mg/LNew Cumberland 128Lebanon: 266 mg/LLebanon 266Sunbury 72mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127Progress: 30 mg/LProgress 30Williamsport: 31 mg/LWilliamspo. 31Lewisburg: 49 mg/LLewisburg 49Milton: 49 mg/LMilton 49Enola: 128 mg/LEnola 128Lebanon: 266 mg/LLebanon 26672 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 72 mg/L, Sunbury is 55 mg/L below the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 5 have softer water and 5 have harder. The range nearby runs from 30 mg/L in Progress to 266 in Lebanon.

What 72 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 Sunbury

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.2 gpg = 950 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 25 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Sunbury's water system

Municipal Authority Sunbury · PWSID PA4490007

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 11,043 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
106
Open now
1
20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Total Coliform Rule'16'18'20'22'24'26Total Coliform Rule
Each dot is one health-based violation, placed at the start of its compliance period.
Contaminant or ruleViolationsPeriodStatus
Total Coliform Rulebacteria12022Resolved

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 Sunbury water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 72 mg/L (4.2 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.2 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 72 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.2.

What size water softener do I need in Sunbury?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.2 gpg works out to about 950 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 25 days.

Has the Sunbury water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for Municipal Authority Sunbury since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. There were also 106 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, August 7, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.