Livingston Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Livingston, the West Lothian new town west of Edinburgh, is supplied by Scottish Water from Glencorse Reservoir and Harlaw Reservoir in the Pentland Hills — the upland moorland ridge south of Edinburgh draining ancient Silurian greywacke and Lower Palaeozoic marine sedimentary rocks. The Pentland Hills catchment drains the Silurian greywacke and Ordovician turbidite rocks of the Southern Uplands fringe — the very same calcium-poor ancient seafloor sediments that make the Southern Uplands broadly the softest water region in Scotland. Water is treated at Scottish Water's Glencorse Water Treatment Works before distribution to Livingston, Edinburgh, and the Mid Lothian corridor. The very low TDS of 13.6 mg/L confirms the exceptional purity of the Pentland Hills catchment supply.

Livingston's exceptionally soft water — 8.5 mg/L (0.6°Clark) — is one of the softest domestic water supplies in the United Kingdom. The Silurian greywacke and ancient sedimentary rocks of the Pentland Hills are almost entirely calcium-free — dissolved mineral content is so low that the total dissolved solids barely register on standard analysis. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland classifies this supply as very soft.

Limescale is essentially absent in Livingston homes. At 8.5 mg/L, limescale does not form in kettles under normal use — descaling once or twice a year is more than sufficient and taps, showerheads, and shower screens remain virtually clear. Washing-up liquid lathers exceptionally well. However, extremely soft and slightly acidic water at this low TDS can be corrosive to copper plumbing — it may leach trace copper from copper pipes, particularly in older properties with unlined copper pipework. Livingston households in properties built in the early new town era should consider an annual plumbing check and a calcite neutraliser filter if taste or plumbing corrosion is a concern.