Tacony Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Tacony, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County — a Philadelphia County neighborhood in the Tacony section of northeast Philadelphia adjacent to Mayfair and Bridesburg on the Delaware River — receives its municipal water from the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), drawing from the Delaware River at the Baxter Water Treatment Plant (Tacony, Philadelphia).

The moderately hard 135.5 mg/L hardness and TDS of 263.3 mg/L reflect the Delaware River supply's Piedmont-Appalachian character — consistent with other Philadelphia readings (typically 120-150 mg/L). The Delaware River above Philadelphia drains the Pennsylvania Piedmont (Precambrian Wissahickon Schist — slightly calcareous), the Triassic Newark Basin (Brunswick Formation calcareous redbeds), and the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley (Ordovician carbonates, Silurian Tuscarora Sandstone) through the Delaware Water Gap.

At 135.5 mg/L, Tacony'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 6.9 ppt warrants a certified drinking water filter — the Philadelphia industrial corridor and the New Jersey side of the Delaware River (multiple PFAS sources), Naval Air Station Willow Grove (Montgomery County — AFFF), and the Delaware Valley PFAS complex contribute to Tacony's readings.