Lees Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

United Utilities supplies Lees, a mill town on the eastern fringe of Oldham at the South Pennine moorland edge — a former cotton-weaving community on the Saddleworth Moor fringe, the gateway to the Tame Valley and the high Pennine moors above Oldham — from South Pennine Millstone Grit moorland reservoir catchments in the Oldham supply zone, treated at Buckton Vale Water Treatment Works in the Tame Valley. At 94 mg/L (6.6°Clark), Lees' water is soft — consistent with the Pennine moorland reservoir supply that defines water quality across Oldham and the east Manchester Pennine fringe communities.

Lees lies at the foot of the South Pennines where the Carboniferous Millstone Grit moorland of Saddleworth Moor rises sharply eastward. United Utilities supplies the Oldham and south Pennine fringe communities from upland Millstone Grit and Lower Coal Measures reservoir catchments — acid, impermeable sandstone and gritstone uplands that produce naturally soft, low-calcium water. The resulting 94 mg/L with TDS 221 mg/L at Lees is soft — consistent with the soft Pennine Millstone Grit reservoir supply characteristic of Oldham, Saddleworth, and the east Manchester Pennine fringe distribution zone.

At 94 mg/L, Lees' 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 scale-free with only occasional maintenance. The soft Millstone Grit Pennine supply at Lees is characteristic of the Oldham and Saddleworth Moor fringe communities — clean, soft water delivered from the upland reservoirs that historically made the south Lancashire cotton weaving industry dependent on the gentle Pennine moorland water flowing down from the hills above.