Leesburg, VA Water Hardness (5.8 to 8.8 grains per gallon) and Your Water Heater

The water in Leesburg, by the numbers

Water utilityTown of Leesburg Utilities

Hardness5.8 to 8.8 grains per gallon2025

What that isModerately hard to hardU.S. Geological Survey classes

ZIP codes20175, 20176

How oftenFlush a tank once a yearDescale a tankless yearly too

Owner-occupied homes11,486half built before 1996

Source: Town of Leesburg Utilities water quality report; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, median year built; U.S. Geological Survey, Hardness of Water.

What it means for your water heater

Hard water carries calcium and magnesium. Heat a tank of it and some drops out as sediment on the bottom, under the burner or the lower element. That's what makes a water heater rumble and pop, take longer to recover and wear out early. Flushing it once a year clears it out.

Popping or rumbling while it heats. That is water boiling under a layer of sediment.
Grit in the faucet screens on the hot side.
A drain valve nobody has opened since the house was sold.

A tankless gets descaled instead. Navien's manual calls for it once a year wherever the water runs 4 grains per gallon or harder with no softener, and the water in Leesburg does. Descaling is $300, regularly $350.

Half the owner-occupied homes in Leesburg were built before 1996. A house that age can still have its original shutoff valves and supply lines, which is why every flush comes with the plumbing safety check: supply hoses, shutoff valves, water pressure and drains, with photos of anything worth knowing about.

More on the flush in Leesburg on SwiftPro's Leesburg water heater flush page.

The rest of the water in Leesburg

Hardness is one line of Town of Leesburg Utilities's testing. The full Town of Leesburg Utilities water report shows every contaminant it found, next to the legal limit and the health guideline. On a private well, a test at your own tap is the number that counts.

Nearby towns

Ashburn

Questions people ask

Is Leesburg water hard?

Yes, moderately hard to hard. Town of Leesburg Utilities reported 5.8 to 8.8 grains per gallon in 2025. The U.S. Geological Survey calls anything over 7 grains per gallon hard.

How often should I flush my water heater in Leesburg?

Once a year for a tank. A tankless gets descaled once a year too, because the water in Leesburg is over Navien's 4 grains per gallon line.

How much is a water heater flush in Leesburg?

$99 at SwiftPro, normally $199, with the plumbing safety check included. Tankless descaling is $300, regularly $350. You pay after the visit.

Get it flushed for $99.

Normally $199, with the plumbing safety check included. Tankless descaling is $300, regularly $350. Pick a time online, and you pay after the visit.

Pick a time Call (571) 396-0299