Hard water
Can you drink water from a water softener?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) advises keeping an unsoftened kitchen tap for drinking and cooking. Ion-exchange softeners swap hardness for sodium, and by our arithmetic add about 46 mg/l for...
Can you drink water from a water softener?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) advises keeping an unsoftened kitchen tap for drinking and cooking. Ion-exchange softeners swap hardness for sodium, and by our arithmetic add about 46 mg/l for...
How hard is my water?
It depends on where you live. Hardness is the calcium and magnesium dissolved in your water. Chalk-fed supplies in the south and east of England are mostly hard, over 200...
How hard is my water?
It depends on where you live. Hardness is the calcium and magnesium dissolved in your water. Chalk-fed supplies in the south and east of England are mostly hard, over 200...
Do I need a water filter or a water softener?
For safety, probably neither. In 2025, 99.97% of England's tap water tests met legal standards, and the DWI says there's no need for extra treatment at home to protect your...
Do I need a water filter or a water softener?
For safety, probably neither. In 2025, 99.97% of England's tap water tests met legal standards, and the DWI says there's no need for extra treatment at home to protect your...
How to check your water hardness by postcode (a...
Find your water company, use its postcode lookup, convert Clark degrees to mg/l and read the band. A worked guide, then check your own tap.
How to check your water hardness by postcode (a...
Find your water company, use its postcode lookup, convert Clark degrees to mg/l and read the band. A worked guide, then check your own tap.
Which UK town has the hardest tap water?
Ipswich South read 402 mg/l on Anglian Water's lookup, the hardest we found among company figures on 20 Oct 2026. The ten hardest zones, and your tap.
Which UK town has the hardest tap water?
Ipswich South read 402 mg/l on Anglian Water's lookup, the hardest we found among company figures on 20 Oct 2026. The ten hardest zones, and your tap.
Why does my kettle get limescale?
Kettle limescale is calcium carbonate from hard water. The UK hardness bands, the 200 mg/l scale point, lemon descaling and how to read your own tap.
Why does my kettle get limescale?
Kettle limescale is calcium carbonate from hard water. The UK hardness bands, the 200 mg/l scale point, lemon descaling and how to read your own tap.