Water Hardness in Lancashire

Water Hardness Across Lancashire

The average water hardness in Lancashire is 87 ppm, classified as slightly hard. Across 55 postcode districts in the North West region, hardness ranges from 46 ppm to 131 ppm.

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

Hardness varies across Lancashire: Preston has the hardest water at 122 ppm, while Lancaster is the softest at 66 ppm. The county spans 4 towns and 55 postcode districts in total.

At 87 ppm, Lancashire ranks as slightly hard water nationally. Compare it against the 50 softest water areas in the UK.

By town

Towns in Lancashire

Sorted by hardness — tap a town for full details.

Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
Preston	122	122 ppm	Moderately Hard
Blackpool	116	116 ppm	Slightly Hard
Blackburn	78	78 ppm	Slightly Hard
Lancaster	66	66 ppm	Slightly Hard

Suppliers

Water Companies in Lancashire

Companies supplying water to this county.

United Utilities

77 ppm Slightly Hard

All postcodes

Postcodes in Lancashire

Every postcode district in the county, sorted by hardness.

Postcode	Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
PR9	Southport	131	131 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR8	Southport	130	130 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR7	Chorley	129	129 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR6	Chorley	128	128 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR5	Preston	127	127 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR4	Preston	126	126 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR3	Preston	125	125 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR2	Preston	124	124 ppm	Moderately Hard
PR1	Preston	123	123 ppm	Moderately Hard
FY8	Lytham St Annes	119	119 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY7	Fleetwood	118	118 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY6	Poulton Le Fylde	117	117 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY5	Thornton Cleveleys	116	116 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY4	Blackpool	115	115 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY3	Blackpool	114	114 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY2	Blackpool	113	113 ppm	Slightly Hard
FY1	Blackpool	112	112 ppm	Slightly Hard
PR26	Leyland	102	102 ppm	Slightly Hard
PR25	Leyland	101	101 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA23	Windermere	99	99 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA22	Ambleside	98	98 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA21	Coniston	97	97 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA20	Broughton In Furness	96	96 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB9	Nelson	87	87 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB8	Colne	86	86 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB7	Clitheroe	85	85 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB6	Blackburn	84	84 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB5	Accrington	83	83 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB4	Rossendale	82	82 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB3	Darwen	81	81 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB2	Blackburn	80	80 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB1	Blackburn	79	79 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA19	Millom	72	72 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB18	Barnoldswick	71	71 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA18	Millom	71	71 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA17	Kirkby In Furness	70	70 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA16	Askam In Furness	69	69 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA15	Dalton In Furness	68	68 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA14	Barrow In Furness	67	67 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA13	Barrow In Furness	66	66 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB12	Burnley	65	65 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA12	Ulverston	65	65 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB11	Burnley	64	64 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA11	Grange Over Sands	64	64 ppm	Slightly Hard
BB10	Burnley	63	63 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA10	Sedbergh	63	63 ppm	Slightly Hard
LA9	Kendal	54	54 ppm	Soft
LA8	Kendal	53	53 ppm	Soft
LA7	Milnthorpe	52	52 ppm	Soft
LA6	Carnforth	51	51 ppm	Soft
LA5	Carnforth	50	50 ppm	Soft
LA4	Morecambe	49	49 ppm	Soft
LA3	Morecambe	48	48 ppm	Soft
LA2	Lancaster	47	47 ppm	Soft
LA1	Lancaster	46	46 ppm	Soft

Test Your Water in Lancashire

At 87 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 Lancashire: Common Questions

Is the water in Lancashire hard or soft?

Lancashire has slightly hard water, averaging 87 ppm across 55 postcode districts. Limescale build-up is minimal at this level, though individual postcodes vary.

Where is the hardest water in Lancashire?

Preston has the hardest water in Lancashire at 122 ppm, while Lancaster is the softest at 66 ppm. Across the county, hardness ranges from 46 ppm to 131 ppm by postcode district.

Which water company supplies Lancashire?

Lancashire 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 Lancashire?

At 87 ppm, Lancashire has soft water and a whole-house softener is not needed.

What is the average water hardness in Lancashire?

The average water hardness in Lancashire is 87 ppm (parts per million), classified as slightly hard. It ranges from 46 ppm to 131 ppm across 55 postcode districts in the North West region.

Get Lancashire Water Updates