Clitheroe Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

United Utilities supplies Clitheroe, the market town in the Ribble Valley of east Lancashire below Pendle Hill and at the very edge of the Yorkshire Dales limestone country, from Stocks Reservoir in the Forest of Bowland and upland Pendle Hill catchments, with minor contributions from the Great Scar Limestone of the Craven area to the north, treated at regional east Lancashire works. At 96.5 mg/L (6.8°Clark), Clitheroe's water is soft, reflecting the predominantly Millstone Grit and Forest of Bowland reservoir supply with a modest limestone contribution from the famous Craven limestone belt that outcrops just north of the town.

Clitheroe sits at a geological crossroads — the Carboniferous Limestone reef knoll on which Clitheroe Castle stands is one of the most dramatic features of the Lancashire landscape, and the Craven limestone belt extends north through Settle and Malham into the Yorkshire Dales. The River Ribble flows south through limestone country above Settle before entering the Forest of Bowland Millstone Grit. United Utilities' Stocks Reservoir and Forest of Bowland catchment drain predominantly Millstone Grit upland, producing soft water, but the modest limestone catchment contribution elevates hardness to 96.5 mg/L with TDS 238.9 mg/L at Clitheroe.

At 96.5 mg/L, Clitheroe's soft water is comfortable for domestic use with modest limescale demands. Descaling the kettle every two to three months is typically adequate. The combi-boiler benefits from a standard scale inhibitor as a sensible precaution. Washing-up liquid lathers well at everyday quantities. Taps and shower heads remain relatively clean with only occasional maintenance. The soft Bowland reservoir supply serves Clitheroe well, and the modest hardness elevation from the Craven limestone is barely perceptible in everyday domestic use compared to the very hard chalk supplies of southern England.