Western System water quality
Hard1 municipality · Camden
Western System reports water hardness of 7.5 grains per gallon — 128 mg/L as calcium carbonate, hard on the USGS scale. Because the reading is taken on finished water leaving treatment, it is the figure for all 1 town on this system rather than for any one of them.
Reported panel
| Hardness (grains per gallon) | 7.5 |
|---|---|
| Hardness (mg/L as CaCO₃) | 128 |
| Classification | Hard |
| pH | 6.95 to 7.8 |
| Total dissolved solids | Not reported in CCR |
| Disinfectant residual | Chlorine: entry 0.53-1.29 ppm; distribution avg 0.90 (0.05-1.45) ppm |
| Sodium | Not listed as detected in this CCR |
| Chloride | Not listed as detected in this CCR |
| Sulfate | Not listed as detected in this CCR |
| Fluoride | Naturally occurring (no numeric max given in this CCR) |
| Manganese | Not listed as detected in this CCR |
| Iron | Not listed as detected in this CCR |
Source: NJ American Water — Western System, 2025 CCR (PWS ID NJ0327001).
Municipalities on this system
Questions people ask
- How hard is Western System water?
- Western System reports hardness of 7.5 grains per gallon (128 mg/L as calcium carbonate), which the USGS scale classifies as hard. The figure is a system-wide reading and applies to every municipality on the system.
- Which towns are served by Western System?
- 1 municipalities on file are served by Western System, across Camden County: Cherry Hill.
- Why do towns on Western System publish the same hardness number?
- Hardness is measured at the treatment plant and at entry points to distribution, not street by street. Every town buying finished water from Western System therefore reports the same value.
- How much sodium is in Western System water?
- Western System reports sodium at Not listed as detected in this CCR. That matters for anyone on a sodium-restricted diet, and it is also what rises if an ion-exchange softener is added downstream.
- Do I need a water softener on Western System water?
- At 7.5 gpg, ion-exchange softening is generally worth considering.
Get your own tap tested
System-wide figures describe finished water leaving the plant. A test at your own tap is what tells you the hardness, iron and pH your plumbing actually sees.
Hardness is a nuisance parameter, not a regulated health contaminant. See the Learn hub for treatment comparisons, or how these figures are sourced.