Newark on Trent Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Newark on Trent, the Nottinghamshire market town on the River Trent at the historic Lincoln Gap crossing, is supplied by Severn Trent Water from the River Trent and the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone aquifer of east Nottinghamshire. The River Trent at Newark drains the north Midlands, carrying dissolved calcium from the Carboniferous limestone catchments of Derbyshire and the limestone-rich Trent valley, but moderately diluted by soft upland tributaries from the Pennine fringe. Severn Trent draws from the Trent and from boreholes in the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone — the productive sandstone aquifer beneath the Nottinghamshire plain — treating at works in the east Nottinghamshire supply zone. Newark's position downstream on the Trent in the lower Nottinghamshire supply zone produces a moderately soft blend of river and sandstone supply.

Newark's hardness of 127 mg/L (8.9°Clark) reflects the blend of River Trent catchment supply and Triassic Sherwood Sandstone groundwater in the east Nottinghamshire Severn Trent supply zone. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) classifies this supply as moderately soft.

Limescale is a moderate concern in Newark. At 127 mg/L, limescale forms gradually — kettles need descaling every one to two months. Combi-boiler heat exchangers accumulate modest deposits; annual servicing is sensible. Showerheads and taps develop light deposits. Washing-up liquid lathers reasonably well. A monthly Calgon tablet in the washing machine and a regular kettle descale is adequate limescale management for most Newark households on the Trent valley supply.