Lockport Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Lockport, New York, in Niagara County — the city that gave its name to the famous Lockport Locks on the Erie Canal (five combined locks that raise and lower boats the full 60-foot height of the Niagara Escarpment — one of the engineering marvels of 19th-century American canal building), a western New York city directly on the Niagara Escarpment corridor — receives its municipal water from the City of Lockport Water Department or the Niagara County Water District, which draws from the New York State Barge Canal system or from Lake Ontario through the Niagara County regional supply.

The moderately hard 111 mg/L hardness and TDS of 226.2 mg/L are historically notable — the Lockport Dolomite (Silurian Lockport Formation) is named for this city, as the Niagara Escarpment at Lockport exposes the famous Silurian dolomite caprock of the escarpment in spectacular geological section. Yet Lockport's water is moderately rather than very hard (111 mg/L), because the supply draws primarily from the Erie Canal corridor water (which reflects Upper Great Lakes and Mohawk River sources — moderately soft) rather than deep local dolomite groundwater. The Lake Ontario / Barge Canal source dilutes the hard local dolomite contribution, producing the moderate hardness outcome.

At 111 mg/L, Lockport's water is moderately hard — scale builds in kettles and appliances over months, dishwashers benefit from rinse aid, and faucet aerators need periodic cleaning. Quarterly descaling is appropriate. The PFAS level of 5.6 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Niagara Falls chemical industry legacy (the Hooker Chemical / Love Canal Superfund site is just 10 miles away), the Niagara County industrial corridor, and the broader western New York chemical manufacturing history all contribute to the Lockport area PFAS background.