How hard is the water in Manassas?

The water in Manassas, by the numbers

Source: City of Manassas Utilities water quality report; 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.

The water in Manassas sits under the 4 grains per gallon where Navien's manual starts calling for a yearly tankless flush, so go by your unit's own descaling reminder. When it comes up, descaling is $300, regularly $350.

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

The rest of the water in Manassas

Hardness is one line of City of Manassas Utilities's testing. The full City of Manassas 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

• Bristow
• Centreville
• Fairfax Station
• Gainesville