How hard is the water in York, PA?

Tap water hardness
83mg/L
4.8gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by York Water CO · June 2025

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

Tap water in York has about 83 mg/L of hardness, which is 4.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from York Water CO, dated June 2025.

York on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+PA typical 127Middletown: 57 mg/LMiddletown 57Hanover: 75 mg/LHanover 75Parkville: 75 mg/LParkville 75West York: 83 mg/LWest York 83East York: 83 mg/LEast York 83Shiloh: 83 mg/LShiloh 83Mount Joy: 93 mg/LMount Joy 93New Cumberland: 128 mg/LNew Cumberland 128Lower Allen: 128 mg/LLower Allen 128Elizabethtown: 255 mg/LElizabethtown 255York 83mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+PA 127Middletown: 57 mg/LMiddletown 57West York: 83 mg/LWest York 83East York: 83 mg/LEast York 83Shiloh: 83 mg/LShiloh 83Mount Joy: 93 mg/LMount Joy 93Elizabethtown: 255 mg/LElizabetht. 25583 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

York sits 44 mg/L below the typical Pennsylvania figure of 127. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 3 have softer water and 4 have harder. The range nearby runs from 57 mg/L in Middletown to 255 in Elizabethtown.

What 83 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 York

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 4.8 gpg = 1,089 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 22 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for York's water system

York Water CO · PWSID PA7670100

1 health-based violation since 2016

Serves about 206,762 people from surface water.

Health-based
1
Monitoring or reporting
7
Open now
0
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 York water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 83 mg/L (4.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 4.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 83 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 4.8.

What size water softener do I need in York?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 4.8 gpg works out to about 1,089 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 22 days.

Has the York water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show 1 health-based violation for York Water CO since 2016, involving Total Coliform Rule. There were also 7 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, June 23, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.