South Staffs Water water hardness
Ranges from hard to very hard across the supply area.
South Staffs Water supplies water ranging from hard to very hard across its area, so the figure for your own postcode is worth checking.
All of the water we supply is 'hard', together with more than 60% of homes in the UK.
South Staffs Water, on their own website, source — checked 2026-08-24
Sandstone aquifer supply. Hard, and often sits alongside Severn Trent's much softer Birmingham supply in neighbouring streets.
What this means for your home
You have hard water — scale protection is worth having.
The World Health Organization notes that water at 200 mg/l or above will produce scale, and that is where this band begins. At this level limescale is a recurring cost rather than an occasional nuisance, and many boiler manufacturers require scale protection to keep the warranty valid. A softener is worth costing out properly.
Where South Staffs Water supplies
Regions: West Midlands
Counties and areas: Staffordshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire, Warwickshire
Supply boundaries do not follow county boundaries, and several companies may supply parts of the same county. Always check your own postcode.