Swampscott Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Swampscott, Massachusetts, in Essex County — an Essex County town adjacent to Lynn and Marblehead on the north Massachusetts coast — receives its water from the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission or similar Essex County system, drawing from Essex County reservoirs through the north Massachusetts coast distribution.

The moderately soft 80 mg/L hardness and TDS of 175.5 mg/L reflect the northeast Massachusetts Essex County coastal supply's soft character — driven by the Lynn Volcanics and Precambrian metavolcanic terrain typical of the north Massachusetts coast where the rocky, insoluble Precambrian basement yields very limited calcareous dissolution. The Essex County reservoir — Precambrian Lynn Volcanics (insoluble — primary dilutant), Precambrian Cape Ann Granite (insoluble — dilutant), and minor Cambrian calcareous formations (slightly calcareous — primary hardness contributor from thin carbonates).

At 80 mg/L, Swampscott's water is moderately soft — light scale forms slowly in appliances, dishwashers remain efficient, and bathroom fixtures need occasional cleaning. Semi-annual descaling is appropriate. The PFAS level of 8.6 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — Hanscom Air Force Base (Middlesex County — AFFF) and the north Massachusetts Essex County coastal industrial corridor contribute to Swampscott's elevated readings.