Ringwood Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water (part of the South West Water group) supplies Ringwood, a thriving market town on the River Avon at the eastern edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, from the River Avon abstracted at Blashford Lakes near Ringwood and from Hampshire Chalk boreholes in the lower Avon valley, treated at Blashford Water Treatment Works. At 168 mg/L (11.8°Clark), Ringwood's water is moderately hard, reflecting the moderately calcareous character of the chalk-fed River Avon at this lower valley position, diluted somewhat by moorland tributaries draining the acid New Forest heathland.

Ringwood sits at the confluence of the River Avon — a classic chalk-fed river rising in the Marlborough Downs — with the New Forest heathland fringe. The Avon at Ringwood has been progressively diluted downstream from its chalk headwaters, picking up contributions from the New Forest streams that drain acid Eocene sands and heathland. Bournemouth Water blends the Avon surface abstraction with chalk borehole contributions from the Hampshire Chalk aquifer at Blashford, producing 168 mg/L with TDS 385.4 mg/L — moderately hard but softer than the chalk borehole zones further upstream on the Wiltshire chalk.

At 168 mg/L, limescale is a noticeable household concern in Ringwood. Kettles benefit from descaling every four to six weeks. The combi-boiler should be fitted with a scale inhibitor and serviced annually. Washing-up liquid requires slightly more product than in softer areas. Taps and shower heads develop moderate limescale deposits within two to three weeks; a monthly wipe with white vinegar keeps fixtures in good condition. The moderately hard Avon valley supply is typical of the New Forest fringe market towns along the lower Avon and Stour, where chalk and heathland supply streams blend to produce a pleasant moderately mineralised water.