Severna Park Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works (DPW) operates the water distribution system serving Severna Park, an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Water is sourced primarily from the Patuxent River via the Patuxent Filtration Plant in Laurel, supplemented by groundwater from well fields tapping the Patapsco, Patuxent, and Magothy aquifers. The system delivers potable water to over 150,000 customers across a 360-square-mile service area; compliance details are published annually in Consumer Confidence Reports, and the DPW can be reached at (410) 222-7582.

The Patuxent River watershed spans 908 square miles, flowing through forested, agricultural, and urban lands across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces. Underlying geology features unconsolidated sediments of the Cretaceous Patapsco Formation — sands and clays — and the Tertiary Magothy Group, with deeper Miocene carbonates in the Chesapeake Group aquifer. These carbonate-bearing formations dissolve over time, imparting a mineralized character to both river water and groundwater and producing a moderately hard supply prone to scale-forming calcium and magnesium ions.

Moderately hard water in Severna Park promotes scale buildup in water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines, reducing efficiency, increasing energy costs, and shortening appliance lifespan. Faucet aerators and showerheads may clog with white deposits, and soap lathering is less effective. Annual deliming of appliances and sediment filters help; a water softener is recommended for households noticing persistent scaling. Treatment at the Patuxent Filtration Plant includes coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, chloramination, and fluoride addition; pH typically runs 7.2–8.0, the county reports full compliance with lead and copper rules, and no notable PFAS exceedances appear in recent CCRs.