How hard is the water in Burlington, VT?
Reported by Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div · June 2023
- VT typical
- 62 mg/L
- EPA health violations since 2016
- 0
- Softener for 3 people
- 24k grain
- Data
- Utility report
The water in Burlington carries roughly 62 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.6 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div, dated June 2023.
Burlington sits close to the typical Vermont figure of 62 mg/L. Of the 4 nearest cities we track, 1 has softer water and 2 have harder. The range nearby runs from 60 mg/L in Barre to 101 in Montpelier.
What 62 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.
3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.6 gpg = 817 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 29 days.
EPA record for Burlington's water system
No health-based violations since 2016
Serves about 42,000 people from surface water.
- Health-based
- 0
- Monitoring or reporting
- 4
- Open now
- 0
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 Burlington water hard?
Somewhat. It measures about 62 mg/L (3.6 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.
What is the water hardness in Burlington in grains per gallon?
About 3.6 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 62 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.6.
What size water softener do I need in Burlington?
For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.6 gpg works out to about 817 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 29 days.
Has the Burlington water system had EPA violations?
EPA records show no health-based violations for Burlington Dept Public Works Water Div since 2016. There were also 4 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.
Nearby cities
- Winooski62 mg/LModerately hard
- South Burlington67 mg/LModerately hard
- Montpelier101 mg/LModerately hard
- Barre60 mg/LSoft
Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, June 5, 2023), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.