Barracks Row Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Barracks Row, District of Columbia — a historic DC neighborhood adjacent to Capitol Hill and Eastern Market near the Washington Navy Yard — receives its water from DC Water (DCWASA), drawing from the Potomac River (District of Columbia) through the Washington DC distribution.

The moderately hard 113 mg/L hardness and TDS of 252.8 mg/L are consistent with other DC communities drawing from the Potomac (Capitol Hill: ~112 mg/L; Georgetown: ~113 mg/L) — reflecting the upper Potomac River watershed's moderate calcareous character from the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge geological provinces. The Potomac River at Washington DC drains the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge — Precambrian Catoctin Greenstone (slightly calcareous — minor contributor), Ordovician Martinsburg Shale (slightly calcareous — secondary contributor), Cambrian Frederick Limestone (calcareous — primary hardness contributor), and Precambrian gneiss (insoluble — dilutant).

At 113 mg/L, Barracks Row's water is moderately hard — scale builds in kettles and appliances over months, dishwashers benefit from rinse aid, and faucet aerators need periodic cleaning. Quarterly descaling is appropriate. The PFAS level of 7.5 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (DC — AFFF, directly adjacent to Barracks Row) and the Washington DC metro industrial corridor contribute significantly to Barracks Row's elevated readings.