Fort Washington Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

WSSC Water (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission) serves Fort Washington in Prince George's County, Maryland, delivering drinking water to nearly 2 million residents across Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The utility sources raw water from the Potomac River and Patuxent River, treated at facilities including the Potomac Water Filtration Plant in Bethesda, the Patuxent Water Filtration Plant in Laurel, and the Robert A. Skinner Water Filtration Plant. Fort Washington primarily receives Potomac River water, with service extending to suburban areas around Washington, D.C. WSSC Water maintains a record of over 108 years without water quality violations as per their annual reports.

The Potomac River watershed spans 14,670 square miles, originating in the Appalachian Mountains and flowing through diverse geology before reaching the Chesapeake Bay. In the Maryland portion, it traverses the Ridge and Valley province with folded Paleozoic sandstones and shales, the Blue Ridge with granitic and gneissic rocks, and the Piedmont's crystalline metamorphics before entering the sandy Coastal Plain. The Patuxent River similarly drains Piedmont metamorphic terrains into Coastal Plain sediments. This geology imparts a moderately mineralised character to the supply, with dissolved ions from rock weathering balanced by dilution in these large surface flows.

At soft–hard levels, practical impacts include moderate scale buildup in dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters, reducing efficiency over time and leaving spots on glassware. Kettles and faucets may show visible deposits, while soap lathering is somewhat reduced. Regular vinegar descaling, low-flow fixtures, and periodic appliance flushing help mitigate effects; a water softener is recommended in harder-supply areas. Treatment involves coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and chloramination for disinfection; pH is maintained around 7.5–8.5, with consistent compliance with EPA standards for lead, copper, and disinfection byproducts. No specific PFAS exceedances noted in recent summaries.