Woonsocket Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
2.8 grains per gallon
Source
reservoir
pH Level
7.4
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.005 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
101.5 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
$0.13
energy & soap waste
Source: USGS Water Quality Portal · Updated 2026
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 Woonsocket, your appliances are currently losing 6% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Woonsocket | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 8 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -6% |
| Washing Machine | 11.8 yrs | 12 yrs | -2% |
| Water Heater | 13.7 yrs | 15 yrs | -9% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Woonsocket compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | PFAS (ppt) | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Woonsocket, Rhode Island | 48 mg/L | 7.2 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Smithfield, Rhode Island | 26.5 mg/L | 5 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
| Cumberland, Rhode Island | 75 mg/L | 9.9 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Lincoln, Rhode Island | 68 mg/L | 9.3 ppt | 🟡 Moderately Hard | reservoir |
| Uxbridge, Massachusetts | 28 mg/L | 5.1 ppt | 🟢 Soft | reservoir |
National Benchmark
How Woonsocket compares to the USA average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Woonsocket | 48 mg/L | 🟢 None |
| USA National Avg | 150 mg/L | 🟠 Moderate |
| Badger Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Woonsocket's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in Providence County on the Blackstone River — a major northern Rhode Island industrial city at the Massachusetts border, historically one of the most significant American Industrial Revolution textile manufacturing centers (Woonsocket was the French-Canadian immigrant textile weaving capital of New England — the 'Loom City'), a predominantly French-Canadian heritage city (one of the highest concentrations of French-Canadian heritage in New England), and a diverse Rhode Island community rebuilding from the decline of its textile manufacturing economy — draws its municipal water supply from the Nipmuc River and Slatersville Reservoir via the Woonsocket Water Division. Water hardness in Woonsocket measures 48 mg/L — classified as very soft.
Woonsocket's very soft supply reflects the northern Rhode Island and south-central Massachusetts reservoir watershed's calcareous-poor crystalline geology. The Nipmuc River watershed and Slatersville Reservoir drain: the Rhode Island–Massachusetts uplands (Precambrian–Ordovician calcareous-poor Rhode Island crystalline gneiss and granite — the Avalon terrane and Blackstone Valley crystalline basement, calcareous-poor); and Narragansett Bay Lowland calcareous-poor Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata. The calcareous-poor Rhode Island crystalline upland produces the very soft 48 mg/L at Woonsocket.
With hardness at 48 mg/L, Woonsocket residents enjoy very soft water with minimal scale challenges. Woonsocket Water Division consistently delivers water meeting all Rhode Island DEM and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
Geology & Source: Reservoir supply from the Nipmuc River (North Smithfield Reservoir and Slatersville Reservoir) via the Woonsocket Water Division — the Providence County northern Rhode Island Blackstone River upland (Precambrian–Ordovician calcareous-poor Rhode Island crystalline gneiss and granite); very soft supply at 48 mg/L — reflecting the northern Rhode Island crystalline upland watershed's calcium-poor geology.