Petersburg, VA water hardness

Tap water hardness
23mg/L
1.4gpg
SoftCounty estimate

County estimate from 301 water samples in Dinwiddie County · July 2026

VA typical
65 mg/L
EPA health violations since 2016
0
Data
County estimate

Water samples from around Petersburg put hardness at about 23 mg/L (1.4 gpg), which would be soft on the USGS scale. Treat this as a rough guide: it is the median of 301 samples taken across Dinwiddie County, mostly wells and streams, not a test of Petersburg's treated tap water. One more reason for caution: EPA lists Petersburg's water system as using surface water, which is often softer than the wells behind the county figure.

Petersburg on the hardness scale, with nearby cities
060120180240300360+VA typical 65Hopewell: 42 mg/LHopewell 42Chester: 45 mg/LChester 45Meadowbrook: 45 mg/LMeadowbrook 45Rockwood: 45 mg/LRockwood 45Brandermill: 45 mg/LBrandermill 45Woodlake: 45 mg/LWoodlake 45Manchester: 65 mg/LManchester 65Sandston: 65 mg/LSandston 65Montrose: 65 mg/LMontrose 65Richmond: 67 mg/LRichmond 67Petersburg 23mg/L as calcium carbonate060120180240300360+VA 65Hopewell: 42 mg/LHopewell 42Chester: 45 mg/LChester 45Meadowbrook: 45 mg/LMeadowbrook 45Rockwood: 45 mg/LRockwood 45Brandermill: 45 mg/LBrandermill 45Manchester: 65 mg/LManchester 6523 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 23 mg/L, Petersburg is 42 mg/L below the typical Virginia figure of 65. None of the 10 nearest cities we track has softer water. The range nearby runs from 42 mg/L in Hopewell to 67 in Richmond.

What 23 mg/L means at home

Soap and shampoo lather with very little product. Kettles and showerheads stay mostly free of white crust.

Some people notice that soap feels slow to rinse off in soft water. That slippery feel is normal and harmless.

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

Nothing, as far as hardness goes. At 23 mg/L a softener would have almost nothing to remove.

Carbon filter

If the water tastes of chlorine, a pitcher or faucet carbon filter takes care of that. It does not change hardness.

EPA record for Petersburg's water system

Petersburg, City of · PWSID VA3730750

No health-based violations since 2016

Serves about 33,394 people from surface water.

Health-based
0
Monitoring or reporting
3
Open now
0

EPA lists this system as serving Petersburg.

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 Petersburg water hard?

No. It measures about 23 mg/L (1.4 grains per gallon), which the USGS classes as soft.

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

About 1.4 gpg. One grain per gallon equals 17.1 mg/L, so 23 mg/L divided by 17.1 gives 1.4.

Has the Petersburg water system had EPA violations?

EPA records show no health-based violations for Petersburg, City of since 2016. There were also 3 monitoring or reporting violations, which are about late or missing tests and notices.

Nearby cities

All 79 cities in Virginia

Hardness data: TapWaterData US Water Hardness (county estimate, July 4, 2026), CC BY 4.0. Population: US Census Bureau. Violations: EPA ECHO. How we use them.