Does NYC Have Hard Water? Water Softener for New York City

Does NYC have hard water? The answer is YES. Municipally supplied city water in New York City is ‘Moderately Hard’.

How hard is New York City’s Water?

According to the United States Geological Survey, New York City has moderately hard water.  The water hardness level in NYC is 65 PPM(mg/L) or 5 GPG. Any water that has more than 60 PPM water-hardness-causing calcium and magnesium ions in it, is considered hard water. For your information, PPM means Parts Per Million. Mg/L means milligrams per liter and GPG means grains per gallon.

Not just NYC, most of the cities in New York State have Moderately-Hard to Extremely-Hard water. The table we have prepared containing “Water Hardness Data” will help you find the exact hardness level of water in your area. 

Water Hardness Data of New York State’s Cities

City	Water Hardness Data	City	Water Hardness Data
New York City	65 PPM (mg/L) or 4 gpg	Buffalo	135 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg
Rochester	130 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg	Albany	54 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg
Syracuse	120 PPM (mg/L) or 7 gpg	Utica	16 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg
Irondequoit	25 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg	Binghamton	65 PPM (mg/L) or 4 gpg
Ramapo	149 PPM (mg/L) or 9 gpg	Grand Island	137 PPM (mg/L) or 8 gpg
Schenectady	56 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg	Brookhaven	33 PPM (mg/L) or 2 gpg
Lake Placid	22 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg	Yonkers	100 PPM (mg/L) or 6 gpg
East Meadows	50 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg	Massapequa	13 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg
Lake Success	50 PPM (mg/L) or 3 gpg	Islip	32 PPM (mg/L) or 2 gpg
Babylon	21 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg	Smithtown	23 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg
Oyster Bay	18 PPM (mg/L) or 1 gpg	–	–

Do you need to use a water softener in New York City?

Since NYC’s water is moderately hard, we do recommend using a water softener. You can either use a Salt-based Water Softener or a Salt-free Water Conditioner. Both types of water softeners are capable enough to turn NYC’s hard water into soft water.

As the name suggests, salt-based systems need new salt and therefore a bit of maintenance every month in order to work. On the other hand, salt-free conditioners don’t need any salt, maintenance, or even electrical connection to run. They use “Scale control media” to diminish the hard water effect, making them a more desirable option for New Yorkers.

In case you don’t want to opt for a water softener/conditioner, at least use a scale inhibitor filter in your home. A scale inhibitor costs only about 50 bucks and has a service life of 6 months. It is an extremely affordable solution to protect your home appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, from limescale buildup. It can also be used in bathrooms to get soft water during showers.

A scale inhibitor may not be as powerful as a water softener, but it can certainly help to prolong the life of your home appliances and protect your skin from hard water.

Water Softener For New York City

Where does NYC’s water come from?

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) monitors the distribution system, upstate reservoirs, feeder streams, in short, the total water supply system. They also regulate water standards according to the Safe Drinking Water Act passed in 1986. DEP is determined to continue providing safe drinking water for all New Yorkers.

New York City’s water supply system is one of the largest in the world consisting of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes. The entire area spreads across a 2,000-square-mile watershed and provides 1.1 billion gallons of water every day for 8.8 million users.  

All that water comes from 3 watersheds. Those are: 

• The Catskill/Delaware Water Supply System: Located in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties.
• The Croton Water Supply System: Located in Putnam, Westchester, and Dutchess counties.
• The Groundwater Supply System in southeastern Queens. 

Among those, the Catskill/Delaware Water Supply System is the biggest. It provides 90% of New York’s daily water demand. The rest of the 10% comes from the Croton water supply system and the groundwater supply system.

Is NYC Tap Water Safe To Drink?

According to the test results published in the “New York City: Water Quality Report 2021“, NYC’s tap water is safe to drink.

DEP, which monitors New York City’s water supply system, collects sample water from 1,000+ stations for testing. In 2021, they have tested and analyzed over 32,900 samples. The tests were conducted to find microbiological, chemical, and numerous other physical particles in water.

We have studied the results of those tests. All the particles found in the NYC water supply system were within the limits set by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That gives us the confidence to say, you can drink NYC tap water.

Is there lead in NYC water?

Unfortunately, some water samples taken from homes have proven to be lead-contaminated. For those of you who don’t know, lead is an extremely toxic element. Congestion of lead through drinking water can have serious health effects, including cancer, neurological dysfunction, kidney impairment, immune system dysfunction, and reproductive organ failure.

Since the NYC water supply system sends lead-free water to the city, authorities wondered why some water samples contained lead while others didn’t? They led an investigation and found:

Several homes and buildings, built before 1961 in New York City, still have lead water pipes. People also used lead solder to join internal plumbing at that time. Those pipes and soldiers are the primary reason why some people get lead-contaminated water from their taps. When water comes from the main pipes through lead pipes, it gets contaminated with lead.

Since it happens at the user’s end, the responsibility to change those pipes also falls on the user’s shoulder. If you want to know if your building has lead pipes or not, you should check the Water Service Line Map of New York City.

If you suspect you have lead in your drinking water, you should immediately test it. If found, change your water pipes and faucets as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you should use a lead water filter and follow these to reduce your lead exposure.

Get a Free Lead Test kit For NYC Tap Water, Call 311

Lead is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless metal that can not be detected by a test kit. If you want to test your tap water for lead, you can request a free test kit by dialing 311. Or you can fill in this online form. After receiving a free test kit, visit Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit for step-by-step sampling instructions and an instructional how-to-video.

Best Water Filter Pitcher To Remove Lead From NYC Tap Water

Luckily, removing lead from water is not difficult. A simple water filter pitcher that uses a Solid Carbon Block cartridge can remove fluoride and lead. And, the Epic Pure Water Filter Pitcher is our first choice to purify NYC tap water. Because it can remove 97.8% Fluoride and 99.4% Lead from tap water. Apart from that, it can also remove Benzene, Chlorine, Mercury, Microplastics, PFAS, PFOA, and other impurities that may contaminate city water.

The epic water pitcher is a simple yet strongly designed water filter pitcher that can provide you with pure drinking water for a year. Its compact design lets you store it on any standard-size refrigerator shelf. It is an American-made, 100% recyclable, replaceable, and BPA-free water filter pitcher.

The Epic Pitcher can purify about half-gallon (1.7 liters) in one go. The solid block carbon filter used inside is capable of filtering 150 gallons (568 liters) in 4 months of service time. That’s equivalent to 1500 water bottles that you won’t need to purchase if you have the epic pitcher in your home.

The Epic pitcher is a budget-friendly water filter that doesn’t compromise quality. It has been rigorously tested by several third-party labs. For its outstanding performance, it has got NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, 401, & P473 certificates for contaminant reduction.

It comes with a lifetime warranty and a 100% money-back guarantee from the manufacturer. Since you have nothing to lose, why don’t you give it a try?

How much is the water bill in NYC?

New York City is one of the most water-efficient in all of America. Since 1980, the population of this city has risen by 1.8 million. Yet, the demand for water has dropped by 35% percent.

Recent data shows a single-family in NYC uses about 70,000 gallons of water per year. At a rate of $4.10 per 100 cubic feet of water (748 gallons), a single-family in NYC pays $348 a year for water.

However, almost all households in NYC also receive wastewater collection and treatment services from the city. It costs $610 a year. So, the overall cost of water and sewer service for a typical NYC household is $994 per year.

Does NYC water have fluoride?

Yes, NYC water contains fluoride. At the water treatment plant, DEP (Department of Environmental protection) adds fluoride to water at a federally approved level of 0.7mg/L. Fluoridated water is beneficial for dental health because it prevents cavities and tooth decay.

Is NYC water chlorinated?

Yes, NYC water is chlorinated. As a disinfectant, DEP (Department of Environmental protection) adds chlorine to the water. Chlorine is immensely effective at killing microorganisms like E.Coli, Entamoeba, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, etc. It also prevents the future growth of germs in the water and in water pipes. Apart from chlorine, DEP also uses UV light to kill any remaining germs in the water.

Is NYC tap water alkaline?

At the water treatment plant, the DEP (Department of Environmental protection) adds sodium hydroxide to the water. Sodium hydroxide increases the pH of the water and makes it alkaline. According to the annual water quality report, the pH of NYC’s water ranges from 6.8 to 8.2. Alkaline water has several health benefits, including, anti-aging properties, immune system support, cancer resistance, etc. Alkaline water also reduces corrosion of water pipes and faucets.

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