28mg of limescale minerals in every litre, the median across PL districts
Is Plymouth a hard water area?
No. Tap water across the PL postcode area is soft, so limescale is not a problem here, with a median of 28 mg/L calcium carbonate. It ranges from 17 mg/L in PL1 to 42 mg/L in PL15, from 25 districts with their own water company reading and 10 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 PL 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PL15 | Cornwall | 42 | soft |
| PL13 | Cornwall | 38 | soft |
| PL14 | Cornwall | 38 | soft |
| PL28 | Cornwall | 34 | soft |
| PL27 | Cornwall | 34 | soft |
| PL30 | Cornwall | 34 | soft |
| PL22 | Cornwall | 33 | soft |
| PL26 | Cornwall | 33 | soft |
| PL23 | Cornwall | 33 | soft |
| PL24 | Cornwall | 33 | soft |
| PL25 | Cornwall | 33 | soft |
| PL5* | Plymouth | 28 | soft |
| PL7* | Plymouth | 28 | soft |
| PL9* | Plymouth | 28 | soft |
| PL16 | West Devon | 28 | soft |
| PL34* | Cornwall | 28 | soft |
| PL35* | Cornwall | 28 | soft |
| PL3* | Plymouth | 28 | soft |
| PL4* | Plymouth | 28 | soft |
| PL6* | Plymouth | 28 | soft |
| PL8* | South Hams | 28 | soft |
| PL19 | West Devon | 28 | soft |
| PL20 | West Devon | 28 | soft |
| PL31* | Cornwall | 28 | soft |
| PL10 | Cornwall | 26 | soft |
| PL11 | Cornwall | 26 | soft |
| PL12 | Cornwall | 26 | soft |
| PL17 | Cornwall | 26 | soft |
| PL18 | Cornwall | 26 | soft |
| PL29 | Cornwall | 22 | soft |
| PL33 | Cornwall | 22 | soft |
| PL32 | Cornwall | 22 | soft |
| PL21 | South Hams | 21 | soft |
| PL2 | Plymouth | 21 | soft |
| PL1 | Plymouth | 17 | soft |
You do not need a softener in Plymouth.
At 28 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 17 and 42 mg/L.
Questions about Plymouth water
Is Plymouth a hard water area?
No. The median hardness across PL postcode districts is 28 mg/L calcium carbonate, which is soft. 0% of the 35 districts we hold readings for are hard or very hard (180 mg/L and above).
What is the water hardness in Plymouth?
Between 17 and 42 mg/L depending on the district, with a median of 28. The hardest measured district is PL15 at 42 mg/L and the softest is PL1 at 17. 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 Plymouth?
Usually not. At a median of 28 mg/L limescale is a minor issue in Plymouth. 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.