Kempston Hardwick Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Anglian Water supplies Kempston Hardwick, a village south of Bedford, from groundwater drawn from the Chalk aquifer of Bedfordshire and surface water from the River Great Ouse catchment, treated at Bedford Water Treatment Works before distribution across the Bedford area. At 248.5 mg/L (17.4°Clark), Kempston Hardwick's water is hard, reflecting the chalk geology underlying this part of Bedfordshire where the chalk dip slope descends northward beneath the clay vales and Fenland.

The Upper Cretaceous Chalk forms the high ground of the Chilterns south of Bedford and dips gently northward, becoming buried beneath Tertiary and Quaternary clays across the Bedford vale. Groundwater abstracted from the chalk in boreholes south of Bedford has percolated through porous rock, dissolving calcium carbonate over long residence times to produce water with high bicarbonate hardness. The River Great Ouse, draining chalk catchments from Northamptonshire through Bedfordshire, also carries significant dissolved calcium that reinforces the hardness of the blended supply reaching Kempston Hardwick.

Limescale is a persistent concern in Kempston Hardwick homes. Kettles should be descaled monthly, or fortnightly in households using the kettle heavily, to prevent element damage and chalky particles in drinks. The combi-boiler benefits from an in-line scale inhibitor to protect the heat exchanger from calcium carbonate deposition, and annual servicing is recommended. Washing-up liquid requires a slightly greater quantity to maintain a satisfactory lather in this hard water. Taps and shower heads develop visible white limescale within one to two weeks; a fortnightly treatment with white vinegar or a proprietary descaler prevents hard-water staining from becoming permanent and keeps plumbing fittings in good condition.