Felling Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Felling, in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne directly opposite Newcastle's Ouseburn district, is supplied by Northumbrian Water from the Kielder Transfer Scheme via the River Tyne and the inner Tyneside supply network. Kielder Reservoir on the North Tyne — fed by very soft Silurian greywacke and Carboniferous Northumberland moorland catchments — provides the dominant supply for the Tyneside distribution network, and Felling's inner south Tyne Gateshead position is firmly within the Kielder-dominant inner Tyneside supply zone. Unlike the coastal east Tyneside zones such as North Shields (196 mg/L) and South Shields which draw more Permian Magnesian Limestone coastal aquifer groundwater, the inner Tyne valley at Felling receives a predominantly soft Kielder supply.

Felling's soft water — 81.5 mg/L (5.7°Clark) — reflects the Kielder Reservoir soft supply dominant in the inner south Tyne Gateshead distribution zone, contrasting with the much harder coastal east Tyneside supply zones. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) classifies this supply as soft.

Limescale is very minor in Felling. At 81.5 mg/L, limescale builds slowly — kettles need descaling every two to three months. Combi-boiler heat exchangers accumulate minimal deposits; annual servicing is routine. Showerheads and taps remain largely clear. Washing-up liquid lathers well with the soft Kielder inner Tyneside supply. Limescale is not a significant domestic concern for Felling households on the Northumbrian Water supply.