Newark Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
1.9 grains per gallon
Source
mixed
pH Level
7.2
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.001 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
66.2 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.09
energy & soap waste
Source: USGS Water Quality Portal · Updated 2026
0–60
mg/L
Soft
61–120
mg/L
Moderately Hard
121–180
mg/L
Hard
180+
mg/L
Very Hard
Appliance Damage Report
In Newark, your appliances are currently losing 4% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Newark | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 8.5 yrs | 8.5 yrs | — |
| Washing Machine | 12.4 yrs | 12 yrs | — |
| Water Heater | 14.3 yrs | 15 yrs | -5% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Newark compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Newark, California | 32.5 mg/L | 2.9 ppt | 🟢 Soft | mixed |
| Fremont, California | 180 mg/L | 7.3 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
| Union City, California | 156.5 mg/L | 6.6 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| East Palo Alto, California | 145 mg/L | 6.2 ppt | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Palo Alto, California | 119 mg/L | 5.5 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
National Benchmark
How Newark compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Newark | 32.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Newark's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Newark, California, in Alameda County on the east shore of San Francisco Bay — a diverse East Bay industrial and residential community, home of Tesla's Fremont factory (which Newark borders), the Newark Slough wildlife area, and a growing East Bay working-class suburban community with significant Hispanic-American and South Asian populations in the South Alameda County corridor — draws its municipal water supply from the SFPUC (Calaveras Reservoir and Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct) and local Zone 7 Alameda County Flood Control water, distributed via the City of Newark Water Division. Water hardness in Newark measures 32.5 mg/L — classified as very soft.
Newark's very soft supply — among the softest in the Bay Area — reflects the SFPUC Hetch Hetchy watershed's extremely calcium-poor Sierra Nevada source and the effective Calaveras–Hetch Hetchy treatment. The Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct delivers Tuolumne River water (from the Yosemite–Sierra Nevada Batholith — extremely soft, calcareous-poor granodiorite catchment, approximately 30–50 mg/L at source). Newark's SFPUC–Zone 7 blended supply has a very high Hetch Hetchy fraction, producing the very soft 32.5 mg/L — significantly softer than most Alameda County cities on the EBMUD East Bay supply.
With hardness at 32.5 mg/L, Newark residents enjoy very soft water. City of Newark Water Division consistently delivers water meeting all California SWRCB and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Reservoir supply from the Calaveras Reservoir and Sunol Valley (SFPUC Hetch Hetchy blended supply) via the SFPUC and the City of Newark Water Division — the Alameda County south Newark–Fremont corridor (Diablo Range calcareous-poor Franciscan Complex and SFPUC Sierra Nevada import); very soft supply at 32.5 mg/L — reflecting the SFPUC soft Sierra Nevada supply.