March Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Anglian Water supplies March, a market town in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire. The town's water is drawn from a combination of the River Great Ouse system and groundwater from the Chalk aquifer of the East Anglian uplands, treated at March Water Treatment Works and the wider Fenland supply network. The Chalk aquifer beneath the Cambridgeshire uplands is one of the most productive in England, and its influence dominates the hardness profile of Fenland supply. March receives water at 244 mg/L (17.1°Clark) — firmly in the hard category.

The Upper Cretaceous Chalk extends in a broad arc from the Chilterns into East Anglia, dipping eastward beneath the Fens. Groundwater abstracted from this aquifer has percolated slowly through hundreds of metres of porous chalk, dissolving calcium carbonate at every stage of the journey. The confined nature of the aquifer beneath the Fenland clays concentrates dissolved minerals further, producing some of the highest hardness readings in the Anglian region. The River Great Ouse itself carries significant chalk-derived hardness, having drained extensive chalk catchments from Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire upstream.

Limescale is a persistent challenge in March homes. Kettles should be descaled monthly, or fortnightly in households using the kettle heavily, to prevent efficiency loss and chalky particles in beverages. The combi-boiler benefits strongly from an in-line scale inhibitor to protect the heat exchanger from calcium carbonate deposition. Washing-up liquid requires slightly more than the usual quantity to achieve a satisfactory lather. Taps, shower heads, and basin taps accumulate visible limescale within days; a weekly wipe with a descaling product or white vinegar and fortnightly deep-cleaning of shower heads is advisable to prevent permanent damage to fittings and keep plumbing in good working order.