New City Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
12.2 grains per gallon
Source
river
pH Level
8.3
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.006 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
459.8 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.56
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 New City, your appliances are currently losing 28% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In New City | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 2.7 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -68% |
| Washing Machine | 5.9 yrs | 12 yrs | -51% |
| Water Heater | 7.3 yrs | 15 yrs | -51% |
Regional Water Comparison
How New City compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ New City, Illinois | 208.5 mg/L | 7.3 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
| Englewood, Illinois | 252.5 mg/L | 8.8 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
| McKinley Park, Illinois | 267.5 mg/L | 9.3 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
| Bridgeport, Illinois | 220 mg/L | 7.7 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
| West Englewood, Illinois | 181.5 mg/L | 6.4 ppt | 🔴 Very Hard | river |
National Benchmark
How New City compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ New City | 208.5 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes New City's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
New City (Back of the Yards), Illinois, a neighborhood on the south side of Chicago in Cook County — the historic 'Back of the Yards' neighborhood made famous by Upton Sinclair's 1906 muckraking novel 'The Jungle' (exposing conditions in the Chicago Union Stock Yards, the largest meatpacking district in the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries), a historically significant Chicago immigrant (Polish, Lithuanian, Slovak, Mexican) working-class community adjacent to the former Union Stock Yards (now closed since 1971), and a primarily Mexican-American and African-American south side community today — draws its municipal water supply from Lake Michigan via the CDWM. Water hardness in New City measures 208.5 mg/L — classified as hard.
New City's hard supply reflects the Chicago south side Back of the Yards distribution infrastructure's substantial mineral accumulation. The New City neighborhood developed substantially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a Chicago industrial working-class community, and its distribution infrastructure includes very old cast-iron mains from the 1880s–1920s Union Stock Yards era buildout. These very old Chicago mains accumulate substantial mineral content above the Lake Michigan source (~130–145 mg/L), producing the hard 208.5 mg/L.
At 208.5 mg/L, New City residents face regular hard water challenges. Monthly descaling with citric acid solution is standard maintenance. CDWM consistently delivers water meeting all Illinois EPA and federal EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Lake supply from Lake Michigan via the Chicago Department of Water Management (CDWM) — the Cook County Chicago south side New City–Back of the Yards neighborhood (CDWM Chicago south side distribution grid — older Bridgeport–Back of the Yards area infrastructure); hard supply at 208.5 mg/L — reflecting the Chicago south side distribution infrastructure's substantial mineral accumulation.