Ferrum, VA tap water
Supplied mostly by Wvwa Ferrum Water System, plus 2 other utilities. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chlorine
Your water is treated with chlorine. It slowly gases off from standing water, and any water conditioner removes it.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2018).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Up to 3.6 ppm (Low)
Typically not detected
Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From EPA monitoring data (2018).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Area estimate10–349 ppm
Typical 95 ppm
Moderately soft to medium. Suits most community fish and plants.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your state (2000–2023).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
29–300 ppm
Typical 71 ppm
Moderate buffering. pH should stay fairly steady.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
pH
6.9–8
Typical 7
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From EPA monitoring data (2012–2019).
Total dissolved solids
Area estimate72–1985 ppm
Typical 215 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
Area estimate from nearby wells: USGS well samples in your state (2000–2023).
- Town of Rocky Mount and Western Virginia Water Authority add phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
Who supplies Ferrum, VA
Wvwa Ferrum Water System
Serves 64% of residents · Groundwater (wells) · Chlorine
Town of Rocky Mount
Serves 41% of residents · Lake or river water · Chlorine
Western Virginia Water Authority
Serves 40% of residents · Lake or river water · Chlorine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
Tap water lookup covers US cities only for now. Want to know why it matters? Read our story on tap water.
Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.