99mg of limescale minerals in every litre, the median across S districts
Is Sheffield a hard water area?
No. Tap water across the S postcode area is moderately soft, with little limescale to speak of, with a median of 99 mg/L calcium carbonate. It ranges from 21 mg/L in S12 to 295 mg/L in S72, from 32 districts with their own water company reading and 13 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 S 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S72 | Barnsley | 295 | very hard |
| S73 | Barnsley | 288 | very hard |
| S64 | Rotherham | 281 | very hard |
| S66 | Rotherham | 279 | very hard |
| S65 | Rotherham | 277 | very hard |
| S62 | Rotherham | 275 | very hard |
| S26 | Rotherham | 265 | very hard |
| S74 | Barnsley | 253 | very hard |
| S60 | Rotherham | 248 | hard |
| S71 | Barnsley | 215 | hard |
| S61 | Rotherham | 203 | hard |
| S63 | Barnsley | 196 | hard |
| S25 | Rotherham | 183 | hard |
| S13 | Sheffield | 149 | moderately hard |
| S9 | Sheffield | 138 | moderately hard |
| S75 | Barnsley | 115 | moderately soft |
| S20* | Sheffield | 99 | moderately soft |
| S44* | Bolsover | 99 | moderately soft |
| S32* | Derbyshire Dales | 99 | moderately soft |
| S18* | North East Derbyshire | 99 | moderately soft |
| S21* | North East Derbyshire | 99 | moderately soft |
| S33* | High Peak | 99 | moderately soft |
| S40* | Chesterfield | 99 | moderately soft |
| S41* | Chesterfield | 99 | moderately soft |
| S43* | Chesterfield | 99 | moderately soft |
| S80* | Bassetlaw | 99 | moderately soft |
| S81* | Bassetlaw | 99 | moderately soft |
| S42* | North East Derbyshire | 99 | moderately soft |
| S45* | North East Derbyshire | 99 | moderately soft |
| S5 | Sheffield | 82 | moderately soft |
| S6 | Sheffield | 77 | moderately soft |
| S1 | Sheffield | 70 | moderately soft |
| S35 | Sheffield | 68 | moderately soft |
| S70 | Barnsley | 64 | moderately soft |
| S7 | Sheffield | 63 | moderately soft |
| S36 | Barnsley | 60 | moderately soft |
| S3 | Sheffield | 56 | soft |
| S8 | Sheffield | 36 | soft |
| S11 | Sheffield | 35 | soft |
| S2 | Sheffield | 32 | soft |
| S4 | Sheffield | 31 | soft |
| S10 | Sheffield | 30 | soft |
| S14 | Sheffield | 23 | soft |
| S17 | Sheffield | 23 | soft |
| S12 | Sheffield | 21 | soft |
You do not need a softener in Sheffield.
At 99 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 21 and 295 mg/L.
Questions about Sheffield water
Is Sheffield a hard water area?
No. The median hardness across S postcode districts is 99 mg/L calcium carbonate, which is moderately soft. 29% of the 45 districts we hold readings for are hard or very hard (180 mg/L and above).
What is the water hardness in Sheffield?
Between 21 and 295 mg/L depending on the district, with a median of 99. The hardest measured district is S72 at 295 mg/L and the softest is S12 at 21. 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 Sheffield?
Usually not. At a median of 99 mg/L limescale is a minor issue in Sheffield. 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.