In Your Area
The hardness of your water depends on how many naturally occurring minerals are present in it. This will be determined by the geographical features of where you live in the UK.
There is no health-based standard for the hardness of drinking water and hard water is perfectly safe to drink, in fact there is lots of evidence that it can even be good for our health.
To find out the water hardness in your area, please enter your postcode here.
You can read more on water hardness in our advice leaflet.
Limescale
Limescale is common in hard water areas and is a result of the naturally elevated concentrations of calcium and magnesium. One of the signs of a hard water supply is limescale deposits on basins, sinks, baths and toilets. Normal household limescale removing cleaning products can help you to get rid of this.
Water companies do not usually soften water because if the water is too soft it can cause the water pipes to corrode. If you would like to soften your water at home, there are many devices available but be aware that some of these lead to water with a high sodium content which should not be used for drinking or cooking. IWNL are unable to advise on the use of water softeners or descalers. For independent advice, you can contact British Water or Water Regs UK.