Is Cambridge a hard water area?
Yes. Tap water across the CB postcode area is very hard, the top band on the scale water companies use, with a median of 330 mg/L calcium carbonate. It ranges from 278 mg/L in CB6 to 499 mg/L in CB9, from 7 districts with their own water company reading and 9 estimated from the area.
- Soft
- Moderately soft
- Slightly hard
- Very hard
- 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 CB 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 | mg/L | Hardness |
|---|---|---|
| CB9 | 499 | very hard |
| CB10 | 360 | very hard |
| CB11 | 333 | very hard |
| CB1* | 330 | very hard |
| CB8 | 330 | very hard |
| CB21* | 330 | very hard |
| CB22* | 330 | very hard |
| CB23* | 330 | very hard |
| CB24* | 330 | very hard |
| CB5* | 330 | very hard |
| CB3* | 330 | very hard |
| CB4* | 330 | very hard |
| CB2* | 330 | very hard |
| CB25 | 317 | very hard |
| CB7 | 278 | very hard |
| CB6 | 278 | very hard |
Softener quotes for Cambridge
At 330 mg/L most CB homes get their money back on a softener within a few years. Free quotes from installers covering your postcode, no obligation.
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Check your exact postcode
The area figure is a median. Your district can sit anywhere between 278 and 499 mg/L.
Nearby areas
- Is Cambridge a hard water area?
- Yes. The median hardness across CB postcode districts is 330 mg/L calcium carbonate, which is very hard. 100% of the 16 districts we hold readings for are hard or very hard (180 mg/L and above).
- What is the water hardness in Cambridge?
- Between 278 and 499 mg/L depending on the district, with a median of 330. The hardest measured district is CB9 at 499 mg/L and the softest is CB6 at 278. 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 Cambridge?
- In most CB homes a softener pays for itself: at 330 mg/L kettles, boilers and showers scale up quickly. Check your own district first, because hardness varies from 278 to 499 within the area.
Hardness as mg/L calcium carbonate from water company drinking-water tests and postcode checkers. See the UK hardness map for every area.