Water hardness

  • How hard is my water?
  • Water hardness can vary in each area of supply. You can find out the hardness of your water below.

To identify which zone you live in:

  • 1. Open our ""Water Quality Zones PDF Document
  • 2. Find the code for your area by looking up your nearest town on the list.
  • 3. Use the code to find water quality hardness for that area.
Hardness Levels
Zone Zone name mg/l or ppm CaCO3 Degrees Clarke Degrees French Degrees German
BB Barr Beacon 236.6 16.6 23.7 13.3
BB1 Barr Beacon 1 240.0 16.8 24.0 13.4
BUR Burton 234.7 16.4 23.5 13.1
CH Cannock High 1 210.9 14.8 21.1 11.8
CW Cawney Hill 167.3 11.7 16.7 9.4
GLA Glascote 236.8 16.6 23.7 13.3
HG Hayley Green 165.9 11.6 16.6 9.3
HW Hopwas 229.0 16.0 22.9 12.8
RCL Rugeley Cannock Low 172.0 12.0 17.2 9.6
SGD Sedgeley Darlaston 156.9 11.0 15.7 8.8
SP Springsmire 206.4 14.4 20.6 11.6
SU Sutton Coldfield 232.3 16.3 23.2 13.0
SV Shavers End 181.1 12.7 18.1 10.1
SV2 Shavers End 2 181.0 12.7 18.1 10.1
UTT Uttoxeter 259.4 18.2 25.9 14.5
WA Walsall 166.2 11.6 16.6 9.3
WA1 Walsall 1 163.7 11.5 16.4 9.2
WB West Bromwich 161.1 11.3 16.1 9.0
WIN Winshill 278.4 19.5 27.8 15.6

  • What causes hard water?
  • Rainwater is naturally soft. As it passes through the soil and rocks it dissolves calcium and magnesium salts. These salts are the cause of water hardness. Water passing through chalk or limestone areas is harder than water passing through peaty soils or more insoluble rocks such as granite.
  • There are two types of hardness, temporary and permanent. Temporary hardness is easily removed when water is boiled. It usually leaves a scum on the top of the water. Permanent hardness cannot be removed by boiling.
  • What problems can hard water cause?
  • Hard water can cause water pipes and appliances such as kettles, boilers and washing machines to scale up. It can also be found around taps and showerheads. If scale collects on heating elements it can shorten the life of the appliance. Hardness also makes it difficult to produce a lather from soap and washing powders and can lead to the formation of 'tide marks' around the rims of sinks and baths.
  • Occasionally you will see a film appearing on the surface of hot drinks. This is caused by hardness salts being released from the water when it is boiled and is perfectly harmless.
  • How is hardness measured?
  • Hardness is expressed as the equivalent amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in milligrams per litre (mg/l) or parts per million (ppm). This indicates the amount of scale that will form if all the hardness is precipitated out of the water. It can also be expressed in a number of other units which are commonly used in appliances such as dishwashers. These are degrees of hardness measured in units called Clarkes.
  • There are no regulatory limits for hardness. The table below gives an indication of the equivalent levels of calcium and calcium carbonate and the relative degrees of hardness. The water that we supply is classed as moderately hard.
Drinking Water Hardness
Ca mg/l CaCO3 mg/l Degrees Clarke Degrees French Degrees German Hardness
<30 <75 <5.3 <7.5 <4.2 Soft
30 – 60 75 – 150 5.3 – 10.5 7.5 – 15 4.2 – 8.4 Moderately hard
60 – 120 150 – 300 10.5 – 21 15 – 30 8.4 – 16.8 Hard
>120 >300 >21 >30 >16.8 Very hard

  • Should I use a water softener?
  • This is a matter of personal choice. Some customers choose to install softeners in their homes and there are a number of systems commercially available. In the event that customers consider this option we would recommend that the customer retains a mains water source for drinking purposes

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