How hard is the water in Newport, RI?

Utility-reported hardness is unavailable in this index. Regional environmental samples cannot establish tap-water hardness. Ask your provider or test your tap.

Local water dashboard

Official source aggregation

Water quality in Newport, RI 02841

Q: Is tap water safe in Newport?

EPA SDWIS shows no active health-based violation in this profile's reporting window. That is not the same as proving every contaminant is absent, and federal data can lag state and utility records.

Regional hardness evidence, possible serving systems, EPA compliance history, and the measurements that are—and are not—available for Newport County.

Historical measurement record needs context

Largest possible serving system: Newport-City Of
Source water: Surface water
County: Newport County
Profile updated: May 26, 2026

Your tap water

What does the utility report?

Match the utility name to your water bill. These results describe the utility’s water, not a test at your home. A ZIP can include several water systems.

Utility hardness unavailable in this index

Nearby river or groundwater samples cannot tell us the hardness coming out of your tap. Ask your water provider for total hardness as CaCO₃, or test it at home.

Find an official utility report →

Convert a hardness result →Test your tap →

At a glance

What the current records say

EPA quarter 2026Q2

Utility-reported hardness

Unavailable

Ask your provider or test your tap

All possible systems

No active flag

0 active health-based records

Measurements by utility

Choose your provider

Each result belongs to a specific system.

Utility match

3 systems

Serves 42,155 people system-wide

Match the name on your water bill

Your utility’s measurements and compliance records

These are possible serving systems. A record for one system does not apply to every home in this ZIP. Confirm your provider before interpreting a measurement or notice. Federal records can lag current utility notices.

EPA snapshot: 2026Q2. Historical window begins Jan 1, 2021.

Newport-City Of

RI1592010 · Surface water · 42,155 people served system-wide

The system names this served city; Census place overlap links the city to this ZCTA.

No active health-based record in this imported snapshot

Find this utility’s official report →

Measurements (1)

An action level is a regulatory trigger, not a pass/fail health boundary. A reported zero is the value in the source record and does not establish that lead is absent at your tap.

Lead (90th percentile)

EPA SDWIS Lead and Copper Rule samples

Above action level

Reported level: 0.0277 mg/L
Action level: 0.015 mg/L

185% of the listed benchmark

Monitoring period: Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2025

Violation history (4)

Imported violation history for Newport-City Of
Rule	Status	Period
Consumer Confidence Rule	Resolved	Jul 1, 2025 to Jul 9, 2025
CARBON, TOTAL	Resolved	Jul 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2024
Chlorine	Resolved	Jul 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2024
Chlorite	Resolved	Jan 1, 2024 to Jan 31, 2024

Naval Station, Newport

RI1000016 · Surface water · 7,870 people served system-wide

The system names this served city; Census place overlap links the city to this ZCTA.

No active health-based record in this imported snapshot

Find this utility’s official report →

Measurements (1)

An action level is a regulatory trigger, not a pass/fail health boundary. A reported zero is the value in the source record and does not establish that lead is absent at your tap.

Lead (90th percentile)

EPA SDWIS Lead and Copper Rule samples

Below action level

Reported level: 0.004 mg/L
Action level: 0.015 mg/L

27% of the listed benchmark

Monitoring period: Jan 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2025

Violation history (2)

Imported violation history for Naval Station, Newport
Rule	Status	Period
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	Resolved	Jan 1, 2023 to Mar 31, 2023
TTHM	Resolved	Jan 1, 2023 to Mar 31, 2023

United States Navy -Fort Adams

RI1900046 · Surface water · 320 people served system-wide

The system names this served city; Census place overlap links the city to this ZCTA.

No active health-based record in this imported snapshot

Find this utility’s official report →

Measurements (1)

An action level is a regulatory trigger, not a pass/fail health boundary. A reported zero is the value in the source record and does not establish that lead is absent at your tap.

Lead (90th percentile)

EPA SDWIS Lead and Copper Rule samples

Below action level

Reported level: 0 mg/L
Action level: 0.015 mg/L

0% of the listed benchmark

Monitoring period: Jan 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 2023

Violation history (1)

Imported violation history for United States Navy -Fort Adams
Rule	Status	Period
Revised Total Coliform Rule	Resolved	Nov 11, 2025 to Dec 10, 2025

Hardness meter

What does nearby environmental evidence show?

Soft

16.9

PPM as CaCO₃

Soft

PPM

16.9

GPG

Regional environmental evidence

USGS hardness classification scale

16.9 PPM

Soft
0–60Moderate
61–120Hard
121–180Very hard
181+

Parts per million

16.9

mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalent

Grains per gallon

1 GPG ≈ 17.1 PPM

How to use regional evidence

These samples describe nearby environmental water. They cannot establish whether your tap water is soft or hard. Use a utility result or a tap test for appliance settings and treatment sizing.

USGS sites used

Nearest site

18.4 mi

Observation range

Aug 1, 2016–May 26, 2026

Regional evidence confidence

Moderate

Median of the latest source-type-aligned hardness observation at each monitoring site within 25 miles. Nearest monitoring location: PAWTUXET RIVER AT PAWTUXET, RI (Stream).USGS source documentation ↗Evidence tier: Regional environmental evidence. This value is not used as proof of the serving utility's treated-water hardness.

Regional context

Is 02841 typical?

These comparisons use other indexed ZIP estimates, not utility tap samples. They help show local context without replacing a household test.

Newport median

23 PPM

6 PPM lower

2 indexed ZIP readings · Range 16.9–29 PPM

Rhode Island median

20 PPM

About the same

33 indexed ZIP readings · Range 14.6–65.5 PPM

Evidence-first next steps

Confirm the problem before choosing treatment

This profile can help you ask the right question. It cannot select equipment for a property without a current result from the serving utility or the tap.

Confirm the serving system

ZIP boundaries and utility service areas do not perfectly match. Verify the system on a water bill before relying on system-wide records.

Read the current utility report

A reported action-level record needs context. Check its monitoring period and the utility's current report.

Find an official utility report →

Test for the decision you face

Use a tap hardness test before sizing a softener. For health concerns, use a certified laboratory and the correct sampling protocol.

Convert your hardness test result →

Nearby indexed reports

More local profiles in Newport

Estimates can differ across a city because monitoring locations and associated systems differ.

View all Newport reports →

ZIP 02840

Regional context

29PPM · environmental

Frequently asked

Water questions for Newport

Is tap water safe in Newport?+

EPA ECHO shows no active health-based violation for the associated systems in this reporting snapshot. This does not prove every contaminant is absent; federal records can lag and household plumbing can change tap conditions.

How hard is the water?+

Utility-reported hardness is unavailable in this index. Regional samples do not establish tap-water hardness. Ask your provider or test your tap.

Do I need a water softener?+

Confirm hardness at your tap and consider actual scale or spotting before choosing treatment. Regional environmental values cannot determine whether you need a softener. A softener addresses hardness, not every contaminant.