Is Edinburgh a hard water area?
No. Tap water across the EH postcode area is soft, so limescale is not a problem here, with a median of 29 mg/L calcium carbonate. It ranges from 11 mg/L in EH45 to 108 mg/L in EH44, from 52 districts with their own water company reading and 2 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 EH 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 |
|---|---|---|
| EH44 | 108 | moderately soft |
| EH43 | 108 | moderately soft |
| EH40 | 68 | moderately soft |
| EH31 | 68 | moderately soft |
| EH39 | 68 | moderately soft |
| EH42 | 68 | moderately soft |
| EH41 | 68 | moderately soft |
| EH32 | 59 | soft |
| EH47 | 37 | soft |
| EH55 | 37 | soft |
| EH8 | 31 | soft |
| EH12 | 31 | soft |
| EH10 | 31 | soft |
| EH1 | 31 | soft |
| EH11 | 31 | soft |
| EH9 | 31 | soft |
| EH4 | 31 | soft |
| EH2 | 31 | soft |
| EH3 | 31 | soft |
| EH18 | 30 | soft |
| EH17 | 30 | soft |
| EH20 | 30 | soft |
| EH25 | 30 | soft |
| EH16 | 30 | soft |
| EH15 | 30 | soft |
| EH33 | 29 | soft |
| EH35 | 29 | soft |
| EH34 | 29 | soft |
| EH6* | 29 | soft |
| EH7* | 29 | soft |
| EH29 | 21 | soft |
| EH54 | 21 | soft |
| EH52 | 21 | soft |
| EH30 | 21 | soft |
| EH48 | 21 | soft |
| EH36 | 20 | soft |
| EH24 | 20 | soft |
| EH51 | 20 | soft |
| EH22 | 20 | soft |
| EH23 | 20 | soft |
| EH21 | 20 | soft |
| EH49 | 20 | soft |
| EH37 | 20 | soft |
| EH38 | 20 | soft |
| EH19 | 20 | soft |
| EH26 | 20 | soft |
| EH46 | 20 | soft |
| EH28 | 18 | soft |
| EH27 | 18 | soft |
| EH53 | 18 | soft |
| EH5 | 15 | soft |
| EH14 | 15 | soft |
| EH13 | 15 | soft |
| EH45 | 11 | soft |
You do not need a softener in Edinburgh.
At 29 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 11 and 108 mg/L.
Nearby areas
- Is Edinburgh a hard water area?
- No. The median hardness across EH postcode districts is 29 mg/L calcium carbonate, which is soft. 0% of the 54 districts we hold readings for are hard or very hard (180 mg/L and above).
- What is the water hardness in Edinburgh?
- Between 11 and 108 mg/L depending on the district, with a median of 29. The hardest measured district is EH44 at 108 mg/L and the softest is EH45 at 11. 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 Edinburgh?
- Usually not. At a median of 29 mg/L limescale is a minor issue in Edinburgh. 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.