How hard is the water in Dumbarton, VA?

Tap water hardness
65mg/L
3.8gpg
Moderately hard

Reported by Henrico County Water System · October 2025

VA typical
65 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Softener for 3 people
24k grain
Data
Utility report

The water in Dumbarton carries roughly 65 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, or 3.8 grains per gallon. That is moderately hard water. The number comes from Henrico County Water System, dated October 2025.

Dumbarton on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+VA typical 65Glen Allen: 56 mg/LGlen Allen 56Mechanicsville: 56 mg/LMechanicsville 56Laurel: 65 mg/LLaurel 65Lakeside: 65 mg/LLakeside 65Chamberlayne: 65 mg/LChamberlayne 65Tuckahoe: 65 mg/LTuckahoe 65East Highland Park: 65 mg/LEast Highland Park 65Bon Air: 65 mg/LBon Air 65Manchester: 65 mg/LManchester 65Richmond: 67 mg/LRichmond 67Dumbarton 65mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+VA 65Glen Allen: 56 mg/LGlen Allen 56Laurel: 65 mg/LLaurel 65Lakeside: 65 mg/LLakeside 65Chamberlayne: 65 mg/LChamberlay. 65Tuckahoe: 65 mg/LTuckahoe 65Richmond: 67 mg/LRichmond 6765 mg/Lmg/L as calcium carbonate
Soft 0–60 mg/LModerately hard 61–120 mg/LHard 121–180 mg/LVery hard 181+ mg/L

Dumbarton sits close to the typical Virginia figure of 65 mg/L. Of the 10 nearest cities we track, 2 have softer water and 1 has harder. The range nearby runs from 56 mg/L in Glen Allen to 67 in Richmond.

What 65 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 Dumbarton

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 3.8 gpg = 857 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 27 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Dumbarton's water system

Henrico County Water System · PWSID VA4087125

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 330,000 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

TapWaterData ties Dumbarton to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Dumbarton, so check the utility printed on your water bill.

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 Dumbarton water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 65 mg/L (3.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

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

About 3.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 65 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 3.8.

What size water softener do I need in Dumbarton?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 3.8 gpg works out to about 857 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 27 days.

Has the Dumbarton water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Henrico County Water System since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 79 cities in Virginia

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, October 6, 2025), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.