Scranton Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Pennsylvania American Water serves Scranton in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, providing drinking water to the city and surrounding areas. The supply combines surface water from Lake Scranton, Williams Bridge, Elmhurst, Hollister, and Curtis Reservoirs with groundwater from nine wells located several miles northwest of the treatment plants. Water is treated at utility-managed facilities to meet all state and federal drinking water standards, with the utility committing over $722 million in 2025 toward system reliability and infrastructure resilience across its Pennsylvania service network.

The watershed encompasses the Lackawanna River basin in northeastern Pennsylvania, vulnerable to roadway pollutants and stormwater runoff from residential, industrial, and commercial areas. Underlying geology features Devonian-age shale and sandstone formations with coal measures from the Appalachian Basin, which impart a soft water character through limited mineral leaching. No major limestone aquifers dominate, keeping the supply minimally mineralised; nine groundwater wells tap fractured bedrock aquifers in the same geological province, yielding low-mineral water due to limited carbonate dissolution.

As a soft water supply averaging 27 mg/L (range 12–44 mg/L CaCO3), Scranton water causes minimal scale buildup or staining on fixtures and appliances. Impacts are negligible compared to harder regions, with no significant soap inefficiency or laundry dullness expected. Routine maintenance suffices without need for descaling, and a water softener is not recommended as it would unnecessarily add sodium. The 2025 Consumer Confidence Report confirms compliance; pH averaged 7.2 (range 7.0–7.4) and sodium averaged 170.5 ppm. Supplies are ranked highly susceptible by the DEP due to surface water exposure.