Arbutus Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Arbutus, Maryland, in Baltimore County — an unincorporated Baltimore County suburb southwest of Baltimore City, adjacent to Catonsville and Halethorpe in the Baltimore County-City boundary zone, a primarily blue-collar residential community in the Baltimore southwestern metro — receives its municipal water from Baltimore City DPW or Baltimore County Bureau of Utilities, which draws from the Loch Raven Reservoir (Gunpowder Falls) and the Prettyboy Reservoir through the Baltimore metropolitan water supply system (the same supply as Cockeysville, but the southern Baltimore distribution zone).

The moderately soft 87 mg/L hardness and TDS of 138 mg/L are softer than Cockeysville (179 mg/L, TDS 445) from the same supply system — reflecting the fact that the southern Baltimore distribution zone has lower hardness than the northern zone, likely because the Loch Raven Reservoir supply (closer to the Precambrian gneiss terrain — softer) dominates the southern Baltimore County distribution more than the Prettyboy Reservoir (northern zone — closer to the Cockeysville Marble and calcareous northern Piedmont). The softer Wissahickon Formation schist and Baltimore Gneiss (Precambrian metamorphic — soft) character dominates the Arbutus supply zone.

At 87 mg/L, Arbutus's water is moderately soft — comfortable for household use. Scale forms slowly over many months, soap lathers well, and appliances operate efficiently. Semi-annual descaling is adequate. The PFAS level of 4.6 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Martin State Airport (Baltimore County — Maryland Air National Guard AFFF source), the Curtis Bay industrial corridor (Grace Chemical, Curtis Bay Ordnance historical chemical sites), and the Baltimore metro's industrial legacy contribute to the southern Baltimore County supply's PFAS reading.