Water hardness
Hard water, or water hardness, is a chalky deposit caused by hardness levels. Most water in the South-East of England is hard in nature.
It’s caused by minerals such as calcium and magnesium. This is a natural occurrence in the geology of the landscape. We are unable to control water hardness as it’s a characteristic of the water at source.
Research shows that minerals in hard water is good for us, especially for our bones. It’s not considered harmful.
Different types of hard water
We source 65% of our water from local rivers and 35% from natural reservoirs underground. This means it passes through soft chalky limestone many times. That’s why all the water in our region is hard.
Hard water can be broken into different categories and varies based on the local geology.
Hardness of water
Hardness of water |
Water hardness (mg/l CaCO3) |
|---|---|
| Soft | up to 100 |
| Slightly hard | 100 -150 |
| Moderately hard | 150 - 200 |
| Hard | 200 - 300 |
| Very hard | More than 300 |
How to reduce the affects of hard water scale
Hard water can sometimes leave behind a chalky residue called limescale. To prevent this, you can:
*Please note we don’t recommend using the softened water for drinking or cooking. We advise a separate tap to be installed. Also, an inspection of your domestic plumbing system and softening unit. This should be done by an approved plumber.
To reduce the build-up of scale deposits, you can install an electric descaler such as Scaleguard. You can find out more