Amesbury Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
4.1 grains per gallon
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.5
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.005 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
145.7 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.19
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 Amesbury, your appliances are currently losing 9% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Amesbury | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 7.3 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -14% |
| Washing Machine | 11 yrs | 12 yrs | -8% |
| Water Heater | 12.8 yrs | 15 yrs | -15% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Amesbury compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Amesbury, Massachusetts | 70 mg/L | 8 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Newburyport, Massachusetts | 101.5 mg/L | 10.2 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Haverhill, Massachusetts | 60 mg/L | 7.3 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| North Andover, Massachusetts | 124.5 mg/L | 11.8 ppt | 🟠 Hard | reservoir |
| Lawrence, Massachusetts | 62 mg/L | 7.4 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
National Benchmark
How Amesbury compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Amesbury | 70 mg/L | 🟡 Low |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Amesbury's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Amesbury, Massachusetts, in Essex County — an Essex County city adjacent to Salisbury and Merrimac on the Merrimack River in the northern Massachusetts-New Hampshire border region, a historic textile-carriage manufacturing city — receives its municipal water from the Amesbury Water Division, drawing from Lake Gardner (Powow River, Essex County) through the Amesbury municipal water system.
The soft 70 mg/L hardness and TDS of 145.7 mg/L reflect the Powow River-Lake Gardner watershed's Essex County crystalline character. The Powow River at Lake Gardner drains the Eastern Massachusetts Coastal Plain upland — Precambrian Cape Ann Granite and Agamenticus Complex (insoluble crystalline), Devonian Amesbury Diorite (insoluble), and Pleistocene glacial moraine and outwash deposits. The predominantly insoluble crystalline bedrock produces the soft water characteristic of the north Essex County supply.
At 70 mg/L, Amesbury's water is soft — essentially no scale forms, soap lathers abundantly, and appliances maintain good efficiency. Annual descaling is sufficient. The PFAS level of 8.0 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Pease Air Force Base (Portsmouth, NH — one of the first documented PFAS contamination sites in the US, in the Merrimack-Powow watershed), the Hanscom AFB PFAS corridor, and the north Massachusetts-New Hampshire PFAS complex contribute to Amesbury's elevated readings.
Geology & Source: Amesbury in Essex County draws from the Amesbury Water Division on the Powow River reservoir (Essex County) or Lake Gardner (Powow River watershed, Amesbury) — the Powow drains the Eastern Massachusetts Coastal Plain (Triassic Essex Falls basalt, Precambrian crystalline) — Massachusetts Essex County Precambrian-glacial watershed produces soft water at 70 mg/L with TDS 146 mg/L in this Essex County Massachusetts city.