Water Hardness in Virginia Cities

Water Hardness in Virginia Cities

Water hardness, a measure mainly indicating the concentration of dissolved substances like calcium and magnesium, can substantially vary across Virginia. Virginia, located on the eastern coast of the U.S., often sees an array of water hardness levels, unlike regions including the Midwest that typically exhibit elevated hardness levels.

Specifically within Virginia, the hardness assessments gathered from different towns and cities imply a pattern of low to moderate hardness levels, in contrast to the national average. As a result, Virginia’s water generally falls under the ‘soft to moderately hard’ category. This characteristic significantly impacts the taste of the water and the efficacy of cleaning substances such as soaps and detergents. It’s worth noting that these hardness levels can change and may vary based on local geological conditions and differences in water sources.

The data shows a diverse range of water hardness levels across various cities, measured in Parts Per Million (ppm) and Grains Per Gallon (gpg). Cities such as Williamsburg, Salem, and Dumfries exhibit high water hardness, exceeding 90 ppm, 5.26 gpg. Conversely, cities like Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Danville have relatively low water hardness levels, falling below 36 ppm, 2.10 gpg. However, several cities such as Lynchburg, Leesburg, and Blacksburg have not provided any information regarding the hardness of their water supplies.

City Hardness ppm (mg/L) Hardness gpg Information Source Notes
Virginia Beach 58.0 3.4 Link
Chesapeake 33.5 2.0 Link Average of range
Norfolk 49.0 2.9 Link
Richmond 65.0 3.8 Link
Newport News 61.0 3.6 Link
Alexandria 125.5 7.3 Link Average of range
Hampton 61.0 3.6 Link Covered by Newport News
Roanoke 46.0 2.7 Link Page 13 for Roanoke hardness
Portsmouth 21.0 1.2 Link
Suffolk 25.0 1.5 Link
Lynchburg n/a n/a Link
Harrisonburg 60.0 3.5 Link Average of range
Leesburg n/a n/a Link Loudon County
Charlottesville 35.0 2.0 Link
Blacksburg n/a n/a Link
Manassas 61.0 3.6 Link
Danville 31.0 1.8 Link
Petersburg n/a n/a Link
Fredericksburg 32.0 1.9 Link
Winchester n/a n/a Link
Staunton 110.0 6.4 Link
Salem 161.0 9.4 Link City of Salem page 17
Herndon n/a n/a Link Covered by Fairfax Water
Fairfax n/a n/a Link
Hopewell 88.4 5.2 Link
Christiansburg n/a n/a Link
Waynesboro n/a n/a Link
Culpeper n/a n/a Link
Colonial Heights n/a n/a Link
Bristol n/a n/a Link
Manassas Park 61.0 3.6 Link Purchases from Manassas City
Radford n/a n/a Link
Vienna 125.0 7.3 Link Average of range
Williamsburg 133.0 7.8 Link
Front Royal n/a n/a Link Says they test for hardness but doesn’t provide value in report
Falls Church n/a n/a Link Covered by Fairfax Water
Martinsville n/a n/a Link Mentions the water plant adds hardness but doesn’t give value
Poquoson 61.0 3.6 Link Covered by Newport News
Warrenton n/a n/a Link
Purcellville n/a n/a Link
Pulaski n/a n/a Link
Smithfield n/a n/a Link
Abingdon n/a n/a Link Covered under Washington County
Wytheville n/a n/a Link
Franklin 88.0 5.1 Link Franklin County page 31
Vinton n/a n/a Link
South Boston n/a n/a Link Covered by Halifax County Service Authority
Ashland n/a n/a Link Covered by Hanover County
Lexington n/a n/a Link
Farmville n/a n/a Link
Strasburg n/a n/a Link
Galax n/a n/a Link
Bedford 26.0 1.5 Link
Buena Vista n/a n/a Link
Bridgewater n/a n/a Link
Woodstock n/a n/a Link
Marion n/a n/a Link Covered by Smyth County
Covington n/a n/a Link
Dumfries 90.0 5.3 Link Part of the “East” system in Prince Edwards County
Emporia n/a n/a Link
Richlands n/a n/a Link
Big Stone Gap n/a n/a Link
Orange n/a n/a Link
Bluefield n/a n/a Link
Rocky Mount n/a n/a Link
Luray n/a n/a Link
South Hill n/a n/a Link
Berryville n/a n/a Link
Tazewell n/a n/a Link
Broadway n/a n/a Link
Colonial Beach n/a n/a Link
Norton n/a n/a Link
Clifton Forge n/a n/a Link
West Point n/a n/a Link
Altavista n/a n/a Link
Blackstone n/a n/a Link
Chincoteague n/a n/a Link
Lebanon n/a n/a Link Covered by Big Cedar Creek Water Plant for Washington County
Timberville n/a n/a Link
Elkton n/a n/a Link
Grottoes n/a n/a Link
Wise n/a n/a Link
Hillsville n/a n/a Link
Pearisburg n/a n/a Link Doc on Town Website seems to cut off before the CCR report, only covers cross connection
Windsor n/a n/a Link
Lovettsville n/a n/a Link
Dublin n/a n/a Link Purchases from Radford
Shenandoah n/a n/a Link
Crewe n/a n/a Link
Tappahannock 3 0.2 Link Via Zip Lookup
New Market n/a n/a Link
Amherst n/a n/a Link
Stephens City 324.0 18.9 Link Supplies to Frederick Water
Louisa n/a n/a Link
Narrows n/a n/a Link
Chase City n/a n/a Link
Gate City n/a n/a Link
Mount Jackson n/a n/a Link
Appomattox n/a n/a Link
Waverly n/a n/a Link
Top 100 Virginia cities by population and their reported water hardness
ppm = Parts Per Million
mg/L = Milligrams Per Liter
gpg = Grains Per Gallon

Hard water can cause issues such as mineral buildup in plumbing and appliances, reduce the efficacy of soaps and detergents, and affect the taste of the water. A tried and true solution is the use of a water softener. A water softener, like the ones from DROP, could be a worthwhile investment.

These devices work by replacing the calcium and magnesium ions that cause hardness with sodium ions, resulting in softer water. With innovative features, easy installation, and efficient operation, DROP smart water softeners provide a solution to hard water issues, extending the lifespan of appliances, improving water taste, enhancing soap effectiveness, reducing scale build-up, and increasing the overall water efficiency in your home.

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