Hawick Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Scottish Water supplies Hawick, the largest town in the Scottish Borders — the knitwear and textile capital of Scotland on the confluence of the River Teviot and Slitrig Water, home to the Common Riding tradition and some of Scotland's finest cashmere mills — from Acreknowe Reservoir in the Southern Uplands above the town, treated at Acreknowe Water Treatment Works. At 24.5 mg/L (1.7°Clark) and a TDS of just 43.2 mg/L, Hawick's water is very soft — among the softest in the Scottish Borders — consistent with the ancient Silurian greywacke and shale upland catchment of the Roxburghshire hills.

Acreknowe Reservoir drains the Silurian mudstone and greywacke uplands of the Roxburghshire Hills above Hawick — ancient compacted deep-sea sedimentary rocks of the Southern Uplands fold belt that are impermeable and essentially calcium-free. These acid, unweathered Silurian rocks produce naturally very soft, very low-TDS water. The resulting 24.5 mg/L with TDS 43.2 mg/L at Hawick is characteristic of the extremely soft water throughout the Borders upland reservoir supply zones, which consistently deliver some of the most mineral-poor tap water in mainland Britain.

At 24.5 mg/L, Hawick's very soft water places essentially no limescale demands on appliances. Descaling the kettle every three to six months is typically all that is needed. Scale inhibitors are rarely necessary but represent sensible insurance for the combi-boiler. Washing-up liquid lathers immediately with minimal product. Taps and shower heads remain permanently scale-free. In older properties with lead or copper pipework, residents should briefly run the cold tap before drinking, as very soft water with low mineral buffering can be mildly corrosive to plumbing — standard Scottish Water guidance for the very soft upland Borders supply communities.