Water hardness
Why some water is hard
If your water comes from underground limestone or chalk rocks, or contains a proportion of groundwater, then the chances are that it is hard. The hardness is caused by the presence of minerals dissolved from the ground and rocks by the water.
If your water is hard you will notice that your kettle and other water heating appliances become furred up with a white scale. You may also find this scale in your bath, sink and shower. It isn't harmful but can be a bit of a nuisance. Hard water can also affect appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and steam irons. Northumbrian Water is compliant with the appropriate regulations and has no plans to introduce softening to hard water areas.
Below is a table of water hardness for the Northumbrian Water area, along with the measurement of hardness in degrees Clarke, for use with dishwashers and washing machines.
Water hardness by treatment area (Hardness is measured in mg/l and degrees Clarke)
This document gives you information on our water hardness broken down by zones, each zone takes its name from the major area supplied. Water hardness does not vary very much, it is relatively constant, the information below is from samples taken in 2005.
One way of dealing with the problems caused by hard water is to consider fitting a water softener. There are various regulations concerning these, both their installation and use, so you must check with us if you are seriously considering a water softener and certainly before you buy one.