How hard is the water in Long Branch, VA?

Tap water hardness
100mg/L
5.8gpg
Moderately hardReports range 100–172

Reported by Fairfax County Water Authority · November 2024

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

Tap water in Long Branch has about 100 mg/L of hardness, which is 5.8 grains per gallon. On the USGS scale that counts as moderately hard. The number comes from Fairfax County Water Authority, dated November 2024. Reports for this system disagree, with values from 100 to 172 mg/L.

Long Branch on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+VA typical 65Woodlawn: 67 mg/LWoodlawn 67Manassas: 74 mg/LManassas 74Potomac Mills: 78 mg/LPotomac Mills 78Dale City: 78 mg/LDale City 78Yorkshire: 82 mg/LYorkshire 82Manassas Park: 82 mg/LManassas Park 82Buckhall: 82 mg/LBuckhall 82Sudley: 82 mg/LSudley 82Woodbridge: 82 mg/LWoodbridge 82Gainesville: 82 mg/LGainesville 82Long Branch 100mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+VA 65Woodlawn: 67 mg/LWoodlawn 67Potomac Mills: 78 mg/LPotomac Mi. 78Yorkshire: 82 mg/LYorkshire 82Manassas Park: 82 mg/LManassas P. 82Buckhall: 82 mg/LBuckhall 82Sudley: 82 mg/LSudley 82100 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 100 mg/L, Long Branch is 35 mg/L above the typical Virginia figure of 65. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has harder water. The range nearby runs from 67 mg/L in Woodlawn to 82 in Yorkshire.

What 100 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 Long Branch

3 people × 75 gallons a day × 5.8 gpg = 1,310 grains a day. A 24,000-grain unit regenerates about every 18 days.

Size it for your household

EPA record for Long Branch's water system

Fairfax County Water Authority · PWSID VA6059501

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 1,121,613 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
0
Open now
0

TapWaterData ties Long Branch to this system. EPA's service-area records do not name Long Branch, 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 Long Branch water hard?

Somewhat. It measures about 100 mg/L (5.8 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as moderately hard.

What is the water hardness in Long Branch in grains per gallon?

About 5.8 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 100 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 5.8.

What size water softener do I need in Long Branch?

For 3 people using 75 gallons each per day, 5.8 gpg works out to about 1,310 grains a day. A 24,000-grain softener covers that with a regeneration about every 18 days.

Has the Long Branch water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Fairfax County Water Authority since 2016.

Nearby cities

All 79 cities in Virginia

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (utility report, November 1, 2024), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.