Water filter service in Hartford, CT

What is in the water in Hartford

Hartford is served by The Metropolitan District (MDC) .

Source water: Entirely surface water, from two reservoirs in the Farmington River watershed roughly 20 miles from the city. The Barkhamsted Reservoir holds 30.3 billion gallons behind the Saville Dam, about a mile north of New Hartford, and supplies close to 75 percent of Greater Hartford on its own. The Nepaug Reservoir holds 9.5 billion gallons behind the Phelps Brook and Nepaug dams, about a mile north west of Collinsville. Together they draw on a watershed of roughly 89.7 square miles fed by the East Branch of the Farmington River and the Nepaug River. Both reservoirs feed smaller MDC reservoirs in West Hartford and Bloomfield before treatment. Because the contributing watersheds are largely rural rather than developed, the raw water arriving at the plants starts cleaner than most surface supplies in the region. Reported by The Metropolitan District for 2024.

Water moves from the reservoirs to the filtration plants in West Hartford and Bloomfield by gravity alone, with no pumping. The watersheds are largely rural and are actively patrolled rather than merely designated: 1,074 watershed inspections were carried out in 2024 with no violations identified. Protecting the source rather than relying entirely on treatment is the same approach New York City takes, and it is why both supplies are unusually clean before treatment begins. Gravity delivery also means the supply is less vulnerable to a power failure than a pumped system, which is a real advantage during a regional outage.

These figures describe the distribution system. Your own tap can differ, and for lead it very likely does.

We do not yet hold a sourced figure for every field on this page. Where something is missing it is left blank rather than estimated, because an unsourced number here would look like information.

Buildings and plumbing in Hartford

PFAS in Hartford

Recent testing found no detectable levels of PFAS. On a supply like this one, treating for PFAS is not indicated, and installing PFAS media speculatively means a recurring cartridge cost against a risk the monitoring does not show. Over 140,000 tests are carried out annually across the system. Confirm against the current annual report before deciding either way, since this is exactly the kind of figure that can change. The Metropolitan District is a regional authority rather than a single town utility, so the same source water and treatment serve Hartford and a number of surrounding towns.

Source: The Metropolitan District, 2024. More on confirming and treating this on our PFAS page.

What this means in practice

• Chlorine and chloramine taste. Confirm with free and total chlorine test strip, plus the utility report for the disinfectant type.
• PFAS. Confirm with certified laboratory analysis using an epa-approved pfas method.

Filters that apply here

• PFAS reduction systems. Reverse osmosis or a certified activated carbon system aimed at per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
• Under-sink carbon filters. A carbon block cartridge on the cold line under the sink.
• Reverse osmosis, tank. A membrane system under the sink that produces treated water to a dedicated tap and stores it in a small pressure tank.
• Whole-house filtration. A filter plumbed into the main line where water enters the building, so every tap, shower, and appliance downstream is fed treated water.
• Sediment filters. A mechanical filter that captures sand, silt, rust flakes, and other particles.

Installation in Hartford

• Free water testing. Typically 45 to 60 minutes.
• Whole-house filter installation. Typically 3 to 5 hours.
• Under-sink reverse osmosis installation. Typically 2 to 4 hours.
• Repair, any brand. Typically 1 to 3 hours.

Renters, co-ops, and businesses

• Options for renters
• Co-ops and condos
• Offices and commercial sites

Local programmes

• MDC annual water quality report. The Metropolitan District publishes a detailed annual report covering both reservoirs, watershed inspection results, and the full testing table. It is the authoritative source for any figure on this page and is worth reading before buying equipment.

Nearby areas

• New Britain, CT , Capitol Planning Region
• Manchester, CT , Capitol Planning Region
• Meriden, CT , South Central Connecticut Planning Region

Sources

• The Metropolitan District, 2024.
• Population: US Census Bureau sub-county population estimates, Vintage 2024 (POPESTIMATE2024).