Auburn Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
1.8 grains per gallon
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.3
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.004 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
59.6 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.08
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 Auburn, your appliances are currently losing 4% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Auburn | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 8.6 yrs | 8.5 yrs | — |
| Washing Machine | 12.4 yrs | 12 yrs | — |
| Water Heater | 14.3 yrs | 15 yrs | -5% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Auburn compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Auburn, Maine | 31.5 mg/L | 3.1 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Lewiston, Maine | 18 mg/L | 2.4 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Brunswick, Maine | 29 mg/L | 2.9 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Portland, Maine | 52.5 mg/L | 4.1 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Westbrook, Maine | 30.5 mg/L | 3 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
National Benchmark
How Auburn compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Auburn | 31.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Auburn's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Auburn, Maine, in Androscoggin County — the twin city of Lewiston across the Androscoggin River in the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Statistical Area — receives its municipal water from the Auburn Water District, which draws from Lake Auburn, a pristine glacially carved lake in the Auburn-Turner hills west of the city. Lake Auburn is one of Maine's best-protected municipal water supply lakes, maintained under strict watershed protection rules by the Auburn Water District and the Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission. The lake drains a forested watershed in the Maine Highlands southwest of the Androscoggin River valley.
The extremely soft 31.5 mg/L hardness and very low TDS of 59.6 mg/L reflect the Lake Auburn watershed's ancient crystalline bedrock geology. The Lake Auburn watershed in Androscoggin County drains the Maine Highlands underlain by Ordovician and Silurian metasedimentary rocks (phyllite, quartzite, slate, and mica schist) of the Acadian orogeny terrane — metamorphic rocks formed during the collision of ancient continental masses that closed the ancient Iapetus Ocean ~400 million years ago. These ancient metamorphic terrains, devoid of soluble carbonate minerals, yield characteristically soft, low-TDS water throughout Maine's inland lake watersheds.
At 31.5 mg/L, Auburn's water is extremely soft — among the softest municipal supplies in the northeastern United States. Scale forms very slowly over months in kettles and appliances, soap lathers abundantly, and glassware is spotless from the dishwasher. Annual descaling of heating appliances is adequate. The primary consideration for extremely soft water is its mild corrosive tendency — the very low TDS buffering capacity means residents in older Lewiston-Auburn mill-era homes with aging copper or lead solder plumbing should flush cold taps before morning drinking. The PFAS level of 3.1 ppt is excellent — Lake Auburn's pristine watershed protection and limited industrial PFAS sources in Androscoggin County produce one of Maine's better municipal PFAS readings.
Geology & Source: Auburn in Androscoggin County draws from Lake Auburn — a pristine glacially carved lake draining the Maine Highlands over Ordovician and Silurian metamorphic rocks (phyllite, quartzite, schist) with negligible carbonate — ancient Acadian orogeny crystalline terrain of western Maine produces extremely soft water at 31.5 mg/L, among the softest in New England, from the Lake Auburn supply.