Water Hardness in Hampshire

Water Hardness Across Hampshire

The average water hardness in Hampshire is 244 ppm, classified as hard. Across 57 postcode districts in the South East region, hardness ranges from 163 ppm to 287 ppm.

Hampshire is served by Portsmouth Water and Severn Trent Water. With hard water, residents may benefit from a water softener to reduce limescale and protect appliances.

Hardness varies across Hampshire: Portsmouth has the hardest water at 261 ppm, while Southampton is the softest at 219 ppm. The county spans 2 towns and 57 postcode districts in total.

At 244 ppm, Hampshire ranks as hard water nationally. Compare it against the 50 hardest water areas in the UK.

By town

Towns in Hampshire

Sorted by hardness — tap a town for full details.

Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
Portsmouth	261	261 ppm	Hard
Southampton	219	219 ppm	Hard

Suppliers

Water Companies in Hampshire

Companies supplying water to this county.

Portsmouth Water

261 ppm Hard

Severn Trent Water

222 ppm Hard

All postcodes

Postcodes in Hampshire

Every postcode district in the county, sorted by hardness.

Postcode	Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
PO22	Bognor Regis	287	287 ppm	Hard
PO21	Bognor Regis	286	286 ppm	Hard
SO45	Southampton	286	286 ppm	Hard
PO20	Chichester	285	285 ppm	Hard
SO43	Lyndhurst	284	284 ppm	Hard
PO9	Havant	283	283 ppm	Hard
SO42	Brockenhurst	283	283 ppm	Hard
PO8	Waterlooville	282	282 ppm	Hard
SO41	Lymington	282	282 ppm	Hard
PO7	Waterlooville	281	281 ppm	Hard
SO40	Southampton	281	281 ppm	Hard
PO6	Portsmouth	280	280 ppm	Hard
PO5	Southsea	279	279 ppm	Hard
PO4	Southsea	278	278 ppm	Hard
PO3	Portsmouth	277	277 ppm	Hard
PO2	Portsmouth	276	276 ppm	Hard
PO1	Portsmouth	275	275 ppm	Hard
PO41	Yarmouth	271	271 ppm	Hard
PO40	Freshwater	270	270 ppm	Hard
PO19	Chichester	261	261 ppm	Hard
PO18	Chichester	260	260 ppm	Hard
PO17	Fareham	259	259 ppm	Hard
PO16	Fareham	258	258 ppm	Hard
PO15	Fareham	257	257 ppm	Hard
PO14	Fareham	256	256 ppm	Hard
PO13	Gosport	255	255 ppm	Hard
PO12	Gosport	254	254 ppm	Hard
PO11	Hayling Island	253	253 ppm	Hard
PO10	Emsworth	252	252 ppm	Hard
SO32	Southampton	250	250 ppm	Hard
SO31	Southampton	249	249 ppm	Hard
SO30	Southampton	248	248 ppm	Hard
PO39	Totland Bay	246	246 ppm	Hard
PO38	Ventnor	245	245 ppm	Hard
PO37	Shanklin	244	244 ppm	Hard
PO36	Sandown	243	243 ppm	Hard
PO35	Bembridge	242	242 ppm	Hard
PO34	Seaview	241	241 ppm	Hard
PO33	Ryde	240	240 ppm	Hard
PO32	East Cowes	239	239 ppm	Hard
PO31	Cowes	238	238 ppm	Hard
PO30	Newport	237	237 ppm	Hard
SO24	Alresford	219	219 ppm	Hard
SO23	Winchester	218	218 ppm	Hard
SO22	Winchester	217	217 ppm	Hard
SO21	Winchester	216	216 ppm	Hard
SO20	Stockbridge	215	215 ppm	Hard
SO19	Southampton	191	191 ppm	Hard
SO18	Southampton	190	190 ppm	Hard
SO17	Southampton	189	189 ppm	Hard
SO16	Southampton	188	188 ppm	Hard
SO15	Southampton	187	187 ppm	Hard
SO14	Southampton	186	186 ppm	Hard
SO53	Eastleigh	166	166 ppm	Moderately Hard
SO52	Southampton	165	165 ppm	Moderately Hard
SO51	Romsey	164	164 ppm	Moderately Hard
SO50	Eastleigh	163	163 ppm	Moderately Hard

Recommended

Products for Hampshire

Top picks for households in hard water areas.

Splendid Twin Tank Water Softener

From ~£400

Twin-tank electric softener sized for 1 to 7 bedroom homes. Removes limescale from pipes, boilers, and appliances and delivers continuous soft water, with metered regeneration to keep salt use low.

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Philips Shower Filter

From ~£30

Instant improvement for skin and hair. Reduces chlorine and limescale at the showerhead, no plumbing needed. A good first step before committing to a full softener.

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FAQ

Water Hardness in Hampshire: Common Questions

Is the water in Hampshire hard or soft?

Hampshire has hard water, averaging 244 ppm across 57 postcode districts. Expect visible limescale on kettles, taps and shower screens within weeks at this level.

Where is the hardest water in Hampshire?

Portsmouth has the hardest water in Hampshire at 261 ppm, while Southampton is the softest at 219 ppm. Across the county, hardness ranges from 163 ppm to 287 ppm by postcode district.

Which water company supplies Hampshire?

Hampshire is supplied by Portsmouth Water and Severn Trent Water. You can check each supplier's reported hardness figures on their water company page.

Do I need a water softener in Hampshire?

At 244 ppm, Hampshire is in the hard band where a water softener noticeably reduces limescale and helps protect boilers and appliances. See the water softener guide for the payback maths.

What is the average water hardness in Hampshire?

The average water hardness in Hampshire is 244 ppm (parts per million), classified as hard. It ranges from 163 ppm to 287 ppm across 57 postcode districts in the South East region.

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