Ashton in Makerfield Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)
Water Hardness
12.9°Clark18.4°fH10.3°dH
Source
mixed
pH Level
8.1
neutral = 7.0
Lead
0.006 mg/L
✓ Below action level
TDS
540.6 mg/L
Est. Daily Cost
£0.42
energy & soap waste
Source: DWI Data Portal · Updated 2026
0–60
mg/L
Soft
61–120
mg/L
Moderately Hard
121–180
mg/L
Hard
180+
mg/L
Very Hard
Appliance Damage Report
In Ashton in Makerfield, your appliances are currently losing 24% efficiency due to mineral buildup.
| Appliance | In Ashton in Makerfield | Soft Water City | Efficiency Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle | 3.5 yrs | 8.5 yrs | -59% |
| Washing Machine | 6.8 yrs | 12 yrs | -43% |
| Water Heater | 8.3 yrs | 15 yrs | -45% |
Regional Water Comparison
How Ashton in Makerfield compares to its nearest neighbours
| City | Hardness | Clark° | Risk | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ Ashton in Makerfield, North West | 183.5 mg/L | 12.9° | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
| Haydock, North West | 77.5 mg/L | 5.4° | 🟡 Moderately Hard | mixed |
| Golborne, North West | 140 mg/L | 9.8° | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Ince-in-Makerfield, North West | 164 mg/L | 11.5° | 🟠 Hard | mixed |
| Newton-le-Willows, North West | 192 mg/L | 13.5° | 🔴 Very Hard | mixed |
National Benchmark
How Ashton in Makerfield compares to the United Kingdom average
| Benchmark | Hardness | Appliance Risk |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ Ashton in Makerfield | 183.5 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| United Kingdom National Avg | 183 mg/L | 🔴 High |
| Livingston Top Rated | 8.5 mg/L | 🟢 None |
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What Makes Ashton in Makerfield's Water Unique?
Local geology and source profile
Ashton in Makerfield, the former colliery and engineering town in the Borough of St Helens between Wigan and the St Helens urban area in west Lancashire, is served by United Utilities. Supply to the St Helens borough area draws on soft Lake District water from the Thirlmere and Haweswater Aqueducts, supplemented by local groundwater abstracted from the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone aquifer beneath the Lancashire and Merseyside plain. The Sherwood Sandstone is a productive aquifer in the west Lancashire basin, where it occurs beneath the Carboniferous Coal Measures, yielding moderately hard to hard water enriched with calcium, magnesium and sulphate from the Triassic red-bed sequence and interbedded Keuper Marl evaporite horizons. The elevated TDS of 540.6 mg/L — one of the highest TDS-to-hardness ratios in the north-west (2.95) — points to a significant sulphate contribution from the Triassic evaporite component in the groundwater blend.
The Permo-Triassic Bunter and Keuper Sandstone beneath the west Lancashire coal field basin dissolves calcium carbonate from cement horizons and calcium sulphate from Keuper Marl evaporite beds, yielding groundwater at 180–200 mg/L hardness but with unusually high sulphate content that elevates TDS well above carbonate hardness alone. United Utilities blends this harder sandstone groundwater with the inherently soft Lake District aqueduct supply (50–70 mg/L) to produce a moderately hard blend at 183.5 mg/L in the Ashton in Makerfield distribution zone.
At 183.5 mg/L Ashton in Makerfield's water is moderately hard and limescale management is a regular domestic task. Kettles benefit from descaling every four to six weeks with a citric acid solution. Shower screens develop a steady calcium film requiring monthly white vinegar treatment. Washing-up liquid lathers adequately. Combi-boilers and white goods appliances benefit from inline scale inhibitor cartridges. Ashton in Makerfield's west Lancashire coal-field heritage — once dependent on pit-head and engineering works — today sees its housing estates dealing with moderately hard Triassic sandstone-influenced tap water.
Geology & Source: Supplied by United Utilities from Thirlmere and Haweswater (Lake District) aqueducts blended with Permo-Triassic sandstone groundwater from the west Lancashire basin — produces moderately hard water at 183.5 mg/L (12.9°Clark).