Water Hardness in Greater Manchester

Water Hardness Across Greater Manchester

The average water hardness in Greater Manchester is 77 ppm, classified as slightly hard. Across 76 postcode districts in the North West region, hardness ranges from 34 ppm to 133 ppm.

Greater Manchester is served by United Utilities. With slightly hard water, limescale is unlikely to be a major concern in most homes.

Hardness varies across Greater Manchester: Wigan has the hardest water at 116 ppm, while Bury is the softest at 50 ppm. The county spans 4 towns and 76 postcode districts in total.

At 77 ppm, Greater Manchester ranks as slightly hard water nationally. Compare it against the 50 softest water areas in the UK.

By town

Towns in Greater Manchester

Sorted by hardness — tap a town for full details.

Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
Wigan	116	116 ppm	Slightly Hard
Manchester	84	84 ppm	Slightly Hard
Oldham	57	57 ppm	Soft
Bury	50	50 ppm	Soft

Suppliers

Water Companies in Greater Manchester

Companies supplying water to this county.

United Utilities

77 ppm Slightly Hard

All postcodes

Postcodes in Greater Manchester

Every postcode district in the county, sorted by hardness.

Postcode	Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
M50	Salford	133	133 ppm	Moderately Hard
M19	Manchester	131	131 ppm	Moderately Hard
M18	Manchester	130	130 ppm	Moderately Hard
M17	Manchester	129	129 ppm	Moderately Hard
M16	Manchester	128	128 ppm	Moderately Hard
M15	Manchester	127	127 ppm	Moderately Hard
M14	Manchester	126	126 ppm	Moderately Hard
M13	Manchester	125	125 ppm	Moderately Hard
M12	Manchester	124	124 ppm	Moderately Hard
M11	Manchester	123	123 ppm	Moderately Hard
WN8	Skelmersdale	119	119 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN7	Leigh	118	118 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN6	Wigan	117	117 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN5	Wigan	116	116 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN4	Wigan	115	115 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN3	Wigan	114	114 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN2	Wigan	113	113 ppm	Slightly Hard
WN1	Wigan	112	112 ppm	Slightly Hard
M46	Manchester	106	106 ppm	Slightly Hard
M45	Manchester	105	105 ppm	Slightly Hard
M44	Manchester	104	104 ppm	Slightly Hard
M43	Manchester	103	103 ppm	Slightly Hard
M41	Manchester	101	101 ppm	Slightly Hard
M40	Manchester	100	100 ppm	Slightly Hard
M9	Manchester	87	87 ppm	Slightly Hard
M8	Manchester	86	86 ppm	Slightly Hard
M7	Salford	85	85 ppm	Slightly Hard
M6	Salford	84	84 ppm	Slightly Hard
M5	Salford	83	83 ppm	Slightly Hard
M4	Manchester	82	82 ppm	Slightly Hard
M3	Salford	81	81 ppm	Slightly Hard
M2	Manchester	80	80 ppm	Slightly Hard
M1	Manchester	79	79 ppm	Slightly Hard
M38	Manchester	75	75 ppm	Slightly Hard
M35	Manchester	72	72 ppm	Slightly Hard
M34	Manchester	71	71 ppm	Slightly Hard
M33	Sale	70	70 ppm	Slightly Hard
M32	Manchester	69	69 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL16	Rochdale	69	69 ppm	Slightly Hard
M31	Manchester	68	68 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL15	Littleborough	68	68 ppm	Slightly Hard
M30	Manchester	67	67 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL14	Todmorden	67	67 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL13	Bacup	66	66 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL12	Rochdale	65	65 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL11	Rochdale	64	64 ppm	Slightly Hard
OL10	Heywood	63	63 ppm	Slightly Hard
BL9	Bury	54	54 ppm	Soft
OL9	Oldham	54	54 ppm	Soft
BL8	Bury	53	53 ppm	Soft
OL8	Oldham	53	53 ppm	Soft
BL7	Bolton	52	52 ppm	Soft
OL7	Ashton Under Lyne	52	52 ppm	Soft
BL6	Bolton	51	51 ppm	Soft
OL6	Ashton Under Lyne	51	51 ppm	Soft
BL5	Bolton	50	50 ppm	Soft
OL5	Ashton Under Lyne	50	50 ppm	Soft
BL4	Bolton	49	49 ppm	Soft
OL4	Oldham	49	49 ppm	Soft
BL3	Bolton	48	48 ppm	Soft
OL3	Oldham	48	48 ppm	Soft
BL2	Bolton	47	47 ppm	Soft
OL2	Oldham	47	47 ppm	Soft
BL1	Bolton	46	46 ppm	Soft
OL1	Oldham	46	46 ppm	Soft
BL0	Bury	45	45 ppm	Soft
M29	Manchester	43	43 ppm	Soft
M28	Manchester	42	42 ppm	Soft
M27	Manchester	41	41 ppm	Soft
M26	Manchester	40	40 ppm	Soft
M25	Manchester	39	39 ppm	Soft
M24	Manchester	38	38 ppm	Soft
M23	Manchester	37	37 ppm	Soft
M22	Manchester	36	36 ppm	Soft
M21	Manchester	35	35 ppm	Soft
M20	Manchester	34	34 ppm	Soft

Test Your Water in Greater Manchester

At 77 ppm on average, your water is slightly hard. A home testing kit lets you verify the exact hardness for your postcode and check for other contaminants.

TESPERT 16-in-1 Water Testing Kit

From ~£10

Home water test strips that check hardness, pH, chlorine, lead, and 12 other parameters. Results in around 60 seconds. 125 strips per pack.

View on Amazon

FAQ

Water Hardness in Greater Manchester: Common Questions

Is the water in Greater Manchester hard or soft?

Greater Manchester has slightly hard water, averaging 77 ppm across 76 postcode districts. Limescale build-up is minimal at this level, though individual postcodes vary.

Where is the hardest water in Greater Manchester?

Wigan has the hardest water in Greater Manchester at 116 ppm, while Bury is the softest at 50 ppm. Across the county, hardness ranges from 34 ppm to 133 ppm by postcode district.

Which water company supplies Greater Manchester?

Greater Manchester is supplied by United Utilities. You can check each supplier's reported hardness figures on their water company page.

Do I need a water softener in Greater Manchester?

At 77 ppm, Greater Manchester has soft water and a whole-house softener is not needed.

What is the average water hardness in Greater Manchester?

The average water hardness in Greater Manchester is 77 ppm (parts per million), classified as slightly hard. It ranges from 34 ppm to 133 ppm across 76 postcode districts in the North West region.

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