UK overview

Water Hardness by County

Compare water hardness across 49 UK counties, ranked by average hardness.

Suffolk

East Of England
352
352 ppm Very Hard
33 postcodes

Lincolnshire

East Midlands
343
343 ppm Very Hard
13 postcodes

Cambridgeshire

East Of England
322
322 ppm Very Hard
51 postcodes

Essex

East Of England
317
317 ppm Very Hard
58 postcodes

Norfolk

East Of England
310
310 ppm Very Hard
35 postcodes

Bedfordshire

East Of England
309
309 ppm Very Hard
7 postcodes

Surrey

South East
305
305 ppm Very Hard
58 postcodes

Oxfordshire

South East
304
304 ppm Very Hard
26 postcodes

Hertfordshire

South East
303
303 ppm Very Hard
53 postcodes

Buckinghamshire

South East
301
301 ppm Very Hard
26 postcodes

Berkshire

South East
291
291 ppm Hard
40 postcodes

Greater London

London
286
286 ppm Hard
330 postcodes

Northamptonshire

East Midlands
278
278 ppm Hard
19 postcodes

East Sussex

South East
271
271 ppm Hard
30 postcodes

Shropshire

West Midlands
249
249 ppm Hard
13 postcodes

Kent

South East
246
246 ppm Hard
81 postcodes

Hampshire

South East
244
244 ppm Hard
57 postcodes

Nottinghamshire

East Midlands
243
243 ppm Hard
30 postcodes

Bristol

South West
238
238 ppm Hard
37 postcodes

East Yorkshire

Yorkshire
237
237 ppm Hard
20 postcodes

Gloucestershire

South West
233
233 ppm Hard
27 postcodes

Dorset

South West
225
225 ppm Hard
37 postcodes

Leicestershire

East Midlands
224
224 ppm Hard
21 postcodes

Staffordshire

West Midlands
222
222 ppm Hard
21 postcodes

West Midlands

West Midlands
222
222 ppm Hard
145 postcodes

North Yorkshire

Yorkshire
215
215 ppm Hard
34 postcodes

West Yorkshire

Yorkshire
214
214 ppm Hard
86 postcodes

South Yorkshire

Yorkshire
211
211 ppm Hard
77 postcodes

Wiltshire

South West
211
211 ppm Hard
29 postcodes

Worcestershire

West Midlands
207
207 ppm Hard
15 postcodes

Cumbria

North West
205
205 ppm Hard
28 postcodes

Derbyshire

East Midlands
199
199 ppm Hard
23 postcodes

Somerset

South West
139
139 ppm Moderately Hard
43 postcodes

Powys

Wales
113
113 ppm Slightly Hard
8 postcodes

Tyne And Wear

North East
110
110 ppm Slightly Hard
67 postcodes

County Durham

North East
107
107 ppm Slightly Hard
26 postcodes

Cornwall

South West
91
91 ppm Slightly Hard
23 postcodes

Lancashire

North West
87
87 ppm Slightly Hard
55 postcodes

Devon

South West
86
86 ppm Slightly Hard
82 postcodes

Gwent

Wales
83
83 ppm Slightly Hard
18 postcodes

Greater Manchester

North West
77
77 ppm Slightly Hard
76 postcodes

Teesside

North East
75
75 ppm Slightly Hard
29 postcodes

Merseyside

North West
73
73 ppm Slightly Hard
40 postcodes

West Wales

Wales
72
72 ppm Slightly Hard
51 postcodes

Cheshire

North West
71
71 ppm Slightly Hard
71 postcodes

Cardiff

Wales
68
68 ppm Slightly Hard
36 postcodes

North Wales

Wales
66
66 ppm Slightly Hard
67 postcodes

Herefordshire

West Midlands
57
57 ppm Soft
9 postcodes

Mid Wales

Wales
43
43 ppm Soft
25 postcodes

How Water Hardness Varies by County

Water hardness varies significantly between UK counties due to differences in local geology. Counties in the South East sitting on chalk and limestone tend to have the hardest water, while counties in Scotland, Wales, and the North West draw from softer granite and peat sources.

Learn more about what causes water hardness or check your specific postcode.