Whittlesey Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Anglian Water supplies Whittlesey, an historic fen town in Cambridgeshire between Peterborough and March — famous for the annual Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival, one of England's most unusual traditional customs, and for the Whittlesey Mere that was once England's largest lowland lake before Victorian fen drainage — from Fenland surface water blend and Lincolnshire–Cambridgeshire Chalk aquifer sources in the east Cambridgeshire supply zone, treated at March Water Treatment Works. At 164.5 mg/L (11.5°Clark), Whittlesey's water is moderately hard — consistent with the chalk and calcareous fen geology that produces moderately hard water throughout the Cambridgeshire Fens supply zone.

Whittlesey lies in the Cambridgeshire Fens — low-lying reclaimed fenland between Peterborough and Wisbech where the Cretaceous Chalk underlies the peat and alluvial Fenland drift. Anglian Water draws on the chalk aquifer of the Cambridgeshire chalk belt and Fenland surface water sources to supply east Cambridgeshire, producing 164.5 mg/L with TDS 369.1 mg/L for Whittlesey — moderately hard water reflecting the moderate chalk groundwater contribution in the Fenland supply zone.

At 164.5 mg/L, limescale is a noticeable household concern in Whittlesey. Kettles benefit from descaling every four to six weeks. The combi-boiler should be fitted with a scale inhibitor and serviced annually. Washing-up liquid requires slightly more product than in softer areas. Taps and shower heads develop moderate limescale deposits within two to three weeks; a monthly wipe with white vinegar keeps fixtures in good condition. The moderately hard supply is characteristic of Fenland towns where the Cretaceous Chalk of the east Midlands and East Anglian belts contributes calcium to the fen drainage catchment.