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How hard is Massachusetts tap water?
Massachusetts tap water is soft. Every system in our table reports total hardness between about 13 and 81 mg/L, or roughly 1–4.5 °dGH, which is below the GH 6–8 that Neocaridina shrimp want, so most local keepers need to add minerals.
We compiled these figures from each utility's own annual water-quality report or official water-quality page, and converted hardness to degrees of general hardness (°dGH = mg/L as CaCO3 ÷ 17.85). Figures are as of November 2026; check your own utility's latest report, and test your tap, because results vary by source and season.
Tap water hardness by system
| Water system | Total hardness (mg/L CaCO3) | ≈ °dGH | Alkalinity (mg/L) | pH | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MWRA (Boston and the towns it serves) | 13.1 at the Carroll plant tap; MWRA says about 15–20 in general | 0.7–1.1 | 40.8 | 9.6–9.8 | March 2025 update |
| Worcester | 29.8 average (21.9–55.2) | 1.7 (1.2–3.1) | 13.1 average | 7.44 average | 2025 |
| Nashua, NH (Pennichuck) | 20.8 | 1.2 | Not published | 8.42 | 2025 data |
| Westford | 76.5 average (74–79) | 4.3 | 64 average (unit not stated) | 7.86 average | 2024 |
| Acton Water District | 24–81 by treatment plant; about 65 typical | 1.3–4.5 | Not published | Not published | 2024 |
Several reports we checked, including Lowell, Chelmsford, Littleton, Springfield and Cambridge, don't publish a hardness figure. If yours doesn't either, a GH/KH test kit gives the answer in minutes.
What it means for shrimp
Neocaridina, such as cherry, blue dream and black rose shrimp, want GH around 6–8 and a stable pH near neutral. Every hardness figure above is under that, so plan to raise GH with a remineraliser made for shrimp. Very soft water with high pH, like MWRA's, can still swing once it's in a tank, so test after each water change. Our guide to keeping shrimp in New England water walks through it, and the shrimp water checker reads your test-kit numbers.
We breed Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp in Groton, Massachusetts.
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