How does Rochester's water compare to the national average?

The USA national average is 151 mg/L. Rochester (≈ 0–59 mg/L) is 121 mg/L softer than average.

Rochester Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Water Hardness

soft

~0–59 mg/L

Soft

estimated · not lab-verified

Source

reservoir

pH Level

6.7

neutral = 7.0

Lead

0.006 mg/L

✓ Below action level

TDS

124.7 mg/L

Est. Daily Cost

$0.08

energy & soap waste

Source: See methodology section below · Updated 2026

soft~0–59 mg/LSoft · est.

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 Rochester, your appliances are currently losing 4% efficiency due to mineral buildup.

Appliance	In Rochester	Soft Water City	Efficiency Loss
Kettle	8.2 yrs	8.5 yrs	-4%
Washing Machine	11.5 yrs	12 yrs	-4%
Water Heater	14.4 yrs	15 yrs	-4%

Regional Water Comparison

How Rochester compares to its nearest neighbours

City	Hardness	PFAS (ppt)	Risk	Source
▶ Rochester, New Hampshire	≈ 0–59 mg/L	0 ppt	🟢 Soft	reservoir
Somersworth, New Hampshire	≈ 0–60 mg/L	0 ppt	🟢 Soft	reservoir
Dover, New Hampshire	≈ 0–60 mg/L	0 ppt	🟢 Soft	groundwater
Durham, New Hampshire	≈ 0–60 mg/L	0 ppt	🟢 Soft	reservoir
Sanford, Maine	≈ 0–60 mg/L	91.3 ppt	🟢 Soft	groundwater

National Benchmark

How Rochester compares to the USA average

Benchmark	Hardness	Appliance Risk
▶ Rochester	≈ 0–59 mg/L	🟢 None
USA National Avg	151 mg/L	🟠 Moderate
Scarsdale Top Rated	0.02 mg/L	🟢 None

Bring Scarsdale-quality water to your Rochester home

Shop water softeners on Amazon.com →

Shop Now

What Makes Rochester's Water Unique?

Local geology and source profile

Source: ReservoirTDS: 124.7 mg/LpH: 6.7

The Rochester Water Department serves approximately 25,000 residents in the city of Rochester, Strafford County, New Hampshire. The utility draws from surface water sources within the Cocheco River watershed, employing conventional filtration and hypochlorite disinfection at its facility at 209 Chestnut Hill Rd, Rochester, NH 03867 (contact: 603-335-4291). Current testing indicates all contaminants meet EPA health-based guidelines; some past MCL violations exist but are resolved per current reports.

The Cocheco River watershed encompasses forested uplands and agricultural lowlands in southeastern New Hampshire. Underlying geology consists of Paleozoic metamorphic rocks including Kittery Formation quartzites and Eliot Formation metasediments, which form a fractured bedrock aquifer. These low-carbonate schists and granitic intrusives release few divalent cations, producing naturally soft, low-mineralised runoff typical of New Hampshire's crystalline highlands, with Pleistocene glacial scour further minimizing mineral leaching across this physiographic province.

Soft water produces minimal scale buildup, sparing water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines from calcification and extending appliance life. Soap lathers easily without excess detergent, and plumbing remains clean with little maintenance needed. No water softener is recommended, as the soft profile avoids hard water issues like glassware spotting or dry skin from mineral films. Water quality meets EPA standards with no recent lead or copper exceedances; the utility uses conventional filtration and hypochlorite disinfection; PFAS data is unavailable in retrieved sources.

Geology & Source: Cocheco River watershed, Strafford County NH; Devonian-Mississippian Littleton Formation schists, Merrimack Group metasediments, Pleistocene glacial till — low-carbonate bedrock limits mineral leaching; soft supply

Other New Hampshire Water Reports

Somersworth

≈ 0–60 mg/L

🟢 Soft

Dover

≈ 0–60 mg/L

🟢 Soft

Durham

≈ 0–60 mg/L

🟢 Soft

Sanford

≈ 0–60 mg/L

🟢 Soft

Report an Issue

Notice an error or missing data? Help us keep this page accurate. If you spot incorrect water hardness, outdated utility info, or missing details, please let us know.

All reports are reviewed by our team. Thank you for supporting data quality!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rochester's water safe to drink?

Yes. Rochester's water meets all federal safety standards. The hardness is ≈ 0–59 mg/L (Soft), which is safe to drink. High hardness affects appliances and taste, but poses no health risk.

Do I need a water softener in Rochester?

Rochester's water is soft at ≈ 0–59 mg/L. A water softener is generally not necessary, though a carbon filter can improve taste and remove any remaining chlorine.

How does Rochester compare to the USA average?

The USA national average is 151 mg/L. Rochester (≈ 0–59 mg/L) is 121 mg/L below the national average. The softest major city is Scarsdale at just 0.02 mg/L.

Data Sources & Methodology

Water quality data for Rochester is derived from geographic and geological modelling of the surrounding region. No federal monitoring station data was available for this location.

Estimated

Water Hardness

Modelled estimate based on state-level USGS geological survey data for this region. No direct USGS Water Quality Portal measurement was matched to this city — the value reflects a statistical range calibrated to the state's dominant rock types and typical source water characteristics.

Estimated

Estimated from regional geology and source water characteristics. pH is correlated with water hardness and local bedrock — values may differ from utility-reported figures.

Estimated

TDS — Total Dissolved Solids

Estimated using a derived ratio from water hardness and regional conductance profiles. TDS in natural water correlates strongly with total mineral content including hardness ions.

Measured

PFAS — Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

EPA UCMR5 (5th Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 2023–2025) — sum of PFAS compounds detected at the public water system serving this city. A value of 0 indicates the system was sampled with no detection above reporting limits.

Modelled

Lead

Modelled estimate based on the EPA Lead and Copper Rule 90th-percentile tap-sample methodology. No publicly available per-city lead dataset with sufficient national coverage exists. Values are a conservative baseline derived from city population tier and infrastructure age — all estimates are maintained below the EPA action level of 0.015 mg/L.

Calculated

Appliance Lifespan

Calculated from water hardness using a linear degradation model. Baseline lifespans represent soft-water performance (kettle: 8.5 yrs, washing machine: 12.0 yrs, water heater: 15.0 yrs). Hard water mineral scale progressively reduces operational life in direct proportion to hardness concentration.