42mg of limescale minerals in every litre, the median across BT districts
Is Belfast a hard water area?
No. Tap water across the BT postcode area is soft, so limescale is not a problem here, with a median of 42 mg/L calcium carbonate. It ranges from 8 mg/L in BT81 to 71 mg/L in BT39, from 75 districts with their own water company reading and 5 estimated from the area.
- Soft
- 0 to 60 mg/L
- Moderately soft
- 60 to 120 mg/L
- Slightly hard
- 120 to 180 mg/L
- Hard
- 180 to 200 mg/L
- Very hard
- 200 to 400 mg/L
Hardness by BT district
Hardest first. Hard starts at 180 mg/L, very hard at 250. Districts marked with an asterisk take the area's median rather than a reading of their own.
| District | Area | mg/L | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT39 | Antrim and Newtownabbey | 71 | moderately soft |
| BT11 | Belfast | 67 | moderately soft |
| BT64 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 67 | moderately soft |
| BT46 | Mid Ulster | 66 | moderately soft |
| BT15 | Belfast | 65 | moderately soft |
| BT13 | Belfast | 64 | moderately soft |
| BT65 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 64 | moderately soft |
| BT62 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 64 | moderately soft |
| BT14 | Belfast | 63 | moderately soft |
| BT74 | Fermanagh and Omagh | 63 | moderately soft |
| BT76 | Mid Ulster | 63 | moderately soft |
| BT67 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 63 | moderately soft |
| BT17 | Belfast | 63 | moderately soft |
| BT12 | Belfast | 62 | moderately soft |
| BT29 | Antrim and Newtownabbey | 62 | moderately soft |
| BT66 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 61 | moderately soft |
| BT92 | Fermanagh and Omagh | 61 | moderately soft |
| BT36 | Antrim and Newtownabbey | 61 | moderately soft |
| BT94 | Fermanagh and Omagh | 60 | moderately soft |
| BT55 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 59 | soft |
| BT10 | Belfast | 59 | soft |
| BT56 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 58 | soft |
| BT41 | Antrim and Newtownabbey | 57 | soft |
| BT45 | Mid Ulster | 57 | soft |
| BT71 | Mid Ulster | 56 | soft |
| BT75 | Mid Ulster | 56 | soft |
| BT38 | Mid and East Antrim | 56 | soft |
| BT2 | Belfast | 56 | soft |
| BT37 | Antrim and Newtownabbey | 54 | soft |
| BT70 | Mid Ulster | 52 | soft |
| BT63 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 52 | soft |
| BT35 | Newry, Mourne and Down | 51 | soft |
| BT42 | Mid and East Antrim | 50 | soft |
| BT51 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 47 | soft |
| BT53 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 46 | soft |
| BT28 | Lisburn and Castlereagh | 44 | soft |
| BT7 | Belfast | 43 | soft |
| BT1* | Belfast | 42 | soft |
| BT77* | Mid Ulster | 42 | soft |
| BT60 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 42 | soft |
| BT21* | Ards and North Down | 42 | soft |
| BT69* | Mid Ulster | 42 | soft |
| BT3* | Belfast | 42 | soft |
| BT48 | Derry City and Strabane | 41 | soft |
| BT82 | Derry City and Strabane | 41 | soft |
| BT9 | Belfast | 40 | soft |
| BT52 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 39 | soft |
| BT80 | Mid Ulster | 36 | soft |
| BT43 | Mid and East Antrim | 35 | soft |
| BT68 | Mid Ulster | 35 | soft |
| BT40 | Mid and East Antrim | 34 | soft |
| BT49 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 33 | soft |
| BT47 | Derry City and Strabane | 33 | soft |
| BT61 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 33 | soft |
| BT57 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 33 | soft |
| BT44 | Mid and East Antrim | 33 | soft |
| BT78 | Fermanagh and Omagh | 32 | soft |
| BT6 | Belfast | 29 | soft |
| BT5 | Belfast | 27 | soft |
| BT93 | Fermanagh and Omagh | 26 | soft |
| BT79 | Fermanagh and Omagh | 24 | soft |
| BT32 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 24 | soft |
| BT54 | Causeway Coast and Glens | 24 | soft |
| BT34 | Newry, Mourne and Down | 17 | soft |
| BT18 | Ards and North Down | 16 | soft |
| BT25 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 12 | soft |
| BT31 | Newry, Mourne and Down | 12 | soft |
| BT4 | Belfast | 11 | soft |
| BT27 | Lisburn and Castlereagh | 10 | soft |
| BT22 | Ards and North Down | 10 | soft |
| BT19 | Ards and North Down | 10 | soft |
| BT24 | Newry, Mourne and Down | 10 | soft |
| BT20 | Ards and North Down | 9 | soft |
| BT26 | Lisburn and Castlereagh | 9 | soft |
| BT30 | Newry, Mourne and Down | 9 | soft |
| BT23 | Ards and North Down | 9 | soft |
| BT8 | Lisburn and Castlereagh | 9 | soft |
| BT16 | Lisburn and Castlereagh | 9 | soft |
| BT33 | Newry, Mourne and Down | 9 | soft |
| BT81 | Derry City and Strabane | 8 | soft |
You do not need a softener in Belfast.
At 42 mg/L the practical effects are minor. If you notice anything, it is usually chlorine rather than hardness: a shower filter or a filter jug deals with that.
Check your exact postcode
The area figure is a median. Your district can sit anywhere between 8 and 71 mg/L.
Questions about Belfast water
Is Belfast a hard water area?
No. The median hardness across BT postcode districts is 42 mg/L calcium carbonate, which is soft. 0% of the 80 districts we hold readings for are hard or very hard (180 mg/L and above).
What is the water hardness in Belfast?
Between 8 and 71 mg/L depending on the district, with a median of 42. The hardest measured district is BT39 at 71 mg/L and the softest is BT81 at 8. Figures come from water company drinking-water tests, with postcode-area estimates for districts that have no reading of their own.
Do I need a water softener in Belfast?
Usually not. At a median of 42 mg/L limescale is a minor issue in Belfast. A filter jug or a shower filter covers the everyday effects. Only districts at 180 mg/L or above are worth a softener quote.
Hardness as mg/L calcium carbonate from water company drinking-water tests and postcode checkers. See the UK hardness map for every area.