Mountsorrel Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Severn Trent Water supplies Mountsorrel, a granite-quarrying town on the River Soar in north Leicestershire. Supply is drawn from a combination of Rutland Water — the major East Midlands reservoir on the Rivers Welland and Gwash — and River Soar catchment sources, treated at Mountsorrel Water Treatment Works and regional Leicestershire facilities. At 147 mg/L (10.3°Clark), Mountsorrel's water is moderately soft — somewhat less hard than central Leicester, reflecting the dilution effect of the Charnwood Forest metamorphic rock catchments that contribute softer runoff to the River Soar near Mountsorrel.

Rutland Water is fed by the Rivers Welland and Gwash, which drain the Jurassic limestone of Rutland and Northamptonshire, arriving at the reservoir with significant dissolved calcium. However, the River Soar between Loughborough and Leicester drains the Charnwood Forest — an isolated outcrop of ancient Precambrian ignite, quartzite, and metamorphic rock — which generates much softer runoff. The blend of Rutland Water limestone supply and Charnwood Forest Soar water produces the moderately soft character recorded at Mountsorrel, below the city average hardness of Leicester.

At 147 mg/L, Mountsorrel's water is moderately soft with manageable limescale demands. Descaling the kettle every six to eight weeks is typically adequate. The combi-boiler benefits from a fitted scale inhibitor as a precaution. Washing-up liquid lathers satisfactorily at everyday quantities. Taps and shower heads develop light to moderate limescale deposits over a few weeks; a monthly wipe with white vinegar or a mild descaler keeps fittings in good condition. Mountsorrel's granite heritage and its water both speak to the ancient resistant rock that defines this part of the Soar Valley.