How Redditch compares
At 181 mg/L (12.7 °Clark), Redditch is 26% below the median of the 411 English towns on this map (243 mg/L). It ranks 275 of 411 for hardness (1 is the hardest).
Redditch has moderately hard water: some limescale, but easy to keep on top of.
| Value | 181 mg/L calcium carbonate 12.7 °Clark, 10.1 °dH |
|---|---|
| Band | moderately hard |
| Area | Worcestershire |
| Population | 87,847 |
| Water company | Severn Trent Water |
| Postcode checked | B97 4RB (Redditch North) |
| Checked | 21 Oct 2026 |
| From the source | “"hardnessClark":"12.69","hardnessGerman":"10.15","hardnessFrench":"18.13","level":"Moderately Hard"” |
Moderately hard water leaves some scale, but slowly. The kettle and shower head need descaling now and then, and that is usually all.
The right detergent dose and a correctly set dishwasher are enough for most homes. A softener is rarely needed.
At 181 mg/L (12.7 °Clark), Redditch is 26% below the median of the 411 English towns on this map (243 mg/L). It ranks 275 of 411 for hardness (1 is the hardest).
As a rule of thumb for moderately hard water, kettles and shower heads need descaling every six to eight weeks. Descale whenever you see scale building up.
No. Hard water carries calcium and magnesium, minerals the body uses. Whether tap water is safe depends on germs and pollutants, which water companies test for, not on hardness.
The water company's figure for Redditch is 181 mg/L (12.7 °Clark), which is moderately hard water. Usually not straight away. Set the dishwasher, dose detergent for your band and descale regularly. Get quotes for a softener only if scale is clearly damaging your boiler or appliances.
Use your water company's postcode checker. Hardness can differ between districts, so check your own postcode, or test with strips or a drop test.
Bromsgrove 8 km Droitwich 15 km Bartley Green 15 km Solihull 16 km Halesowen 17 km Birmingham 20 km Stratford-upon-Avon 21 km Smethwick 21 km