Elmira Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Elmira, New York, the Chemung County seat — a major south tier New York Chemung River Valley city (Elmira is the Chemung County seat — one of the most historically significant cities in the Southern Tier of New York State; Elmira is most famous as the adopted home and burial place of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens — America's most celebrated author; Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon of Elmira in 1870 and spent 20 summers writing at his Elmira estate; Twain wrote or completed some of his most important works including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court while at his Quarry Farm retreat in Elmira; Twain is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira)); the National Soaring Museum in Elmira (Elmira is the 'Soaring Capital of America' — the combination of the surrounding hills and reliable thermal currents makes the Elmira area one of the best soaring sites in the eastern United States), a diverse Chemung County community with a working-class and Appalachian heritage population — draws its municipal water supply via the Elmira Water Board. Water hardness in Elmira measures 78 mg/L — classified as moderately soft.

Elmira's moderate softness reflects the south tier New York Chemung County Appalachian Plateau Devonian watershed's calcareous-poor geology. The Chemung River drains the Devonian Catskill and Chemung Groups (calcareous-poor). Elmira Water Board treatment produces the moderately soft 78 mg/L.

With hardness at 78 mg/L, Elmira residents enjoy moderately soft water. Elmira Water Board consistently delivers water meeting all New York State DEC and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.