295mg of limescale minerals in every litre, the median across RG districts
Is Reading a hard water area?
Yes. Tap water across the RG postcode area is very hard, the top band on the scale water companies use, with a median of 295 mg/L calcium carbonate. It ranges from 235 mg/L in RG41 to 355 mg/L in RG6, from 21 districts with their own water company reading and 9 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 RG 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RG6 | Wokingham | 355 | very hard |
| RG8 | South Oxfordshire | 346 | very hard |
| RG26 | Basingstoke and Deane | 330 | very hard |
| RG2 | Wokingham | 330 | very hard |
| RG4 | Reading | 316 | very hard |
| RG30 | Reading | 316 | very hard |
| RG19 | West Berkshire | 315 | very hard |
| RG5 | Wokingham | 313 | very hard |
| RG45 | Wokingham | 313 | very hard |
| RG10 | Wokingham | 303 | very hard |
| RG7* | West Berkshire | 295 | very hard |
| RG21* | Basingstoke and Deane | 295 | very hard |
| RG22* | Basingstoke and Deane | 295 | very hard |
| RG25* | Basingstoke and Deane | 295 | very hard |
| RG27* | Hart | 295 | very hard |
| RG28* | Basingstoke and Deane | 295 | very hard |
| RG29* | Hart | 295 | very hard |
| RG24* | Basingstoke and Deane | 295 | very hard |
| RG40 | Wokingham | 295 | very hard |
| RG23* | Basingstoke and Deane | 295 | very hard |
| RG31 | Reading | 289 | very hard |
| RG1 | Reading | 288 | very hard |
| RG42 | Bracknell Forest | 288 | very hard |
| RG9 | South Oxfordshire | 283 | very hard |
| RG14 | West Berkshire | 281 | very hard |
| RG18 | West Berkshire | 276 | very hard |
| RG20 | West Berkshire | 274 | very hard |
| RG17 | West Berkshire | 268 | very hard |
| RG12 | Bracknell Forest | 264 | very hard |
| RG41 | Wokingham | 235 | hard |
What to do about it
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 295 mg/L most RG homes get their money back on a softener within a few years. A filter will not touch limescale; only a softener does.
- Free quotes
- Local installers
- No obligation
Check your own district first
The area figure is a median. Your district can sit anywhere between 235 and 355 mg/L.
Softener quotes for Reading
At 295 mg/L most RG homes get their money back on a softener within a few years. Free quotes from installers covering your postcode.
Request a free assessment and we'll come back to you with local installer options for your area.
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Before you buy
- Do I need a water softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and when the answer is no
- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
- Water softener costUnit, fitting and salt, and how long the payback takes
- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
- Harvey vs KineticoThe two premium twin-cylinder brands, side by side
- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
Questions about Reading water
Is Reading a hard water area?
Yes. The median hardness across RG postcode districts is 295 mg/L calcium carbonate, which is very hard. 100% of the 30 districts we hold readings for are hard or very hard (180 mg/L and above).
What is the water hardness in Reading?
Between 235 and 355 mg/L depending on the district, with a median of 295. The hardest measured district is RG6 at 355 mg/L and the softest is RG41 at 235. 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 Reading?
In most RG homes a softener pays for itself: at 295 mg/L kettles, boilers and showers scale up quickly. Check your own district first, because hardness varies from 235 to 355 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.