Basford Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Severn Trent Water supplies Basford, a suburb of Nottingham north of the city centre in the Leen Valley. Supply is drawn from the Derwent Valley reservoir system — Ladybower, Derwent, and Howden in the Peak District — and from the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone aquifer beneath Nottingham, treated at Papplewick Water Treatment Works before distribution across the north Nottingham supply zone. At 204.5 mg/L (14.3°Clark), Basford's water is hard — harder than the soft Peak District reservoir baseline — driven by the significant contribution of Sherwood Sandstone and Mercia Mudstone groundwater that elevates hardness in the Nottingham distribution zone.

The Derwent Valley reservoir system drains Millstone Grit Series moorland in the Peak District, producing naturally soft water with very low calcium content. However, the Sherwood Sandstone (Permo-Triassic) aquifer beneath Nottingham contains interstitial calcium carbonate cements and is underlain by Mercia Mudstone containing evaporite minerals including gypsum, which contribute both calcium and sulphate hardness to the groundwater. The blend of soft Peak District reservoir water and harder Triassic groundwater produces the moderately hard to hard supply at 204.5 mg/L, with TDS 556.7 mg/L confirming the substantial dissolved mineral load from the sandstone aquifer component.

At 204.5 mg/L, limescale is a consistent domestic concern in Basford. Kettles benefit from descaling monthly to maintain element efficiency. The combi-boiler should be fitted with a scale inhibitor and serviced annually. Washing-up liquid requires more product than in softer-water areas. Taps and shower heads develop visible white limescale within one to two weeks; a fortnightly wipe with white vinegar or a proprietary descaling solution keeps fittings clean in this hard Triassic groundwater-influenced Nottingham supply zone.