Chard Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

South West Water supplies Chard, a historic market town at the summit of the Blackdown Hills watershed in south Somerset near the Dorset border — the highest market town in the South-West and site of the first powered flight experiment in England by John Stringfellow — from the Upper Greensand aquifer of the Blackdown Hills foothills and the River Axe catchment surface supply, treated at regional south Somerset works. At 192.5 mg/L (13.5°Clark), Chard's water is moderately hard, reflecting the calcareous Upper Greensand and Lower Lias geology of the south Somerset basin.

Chard sits on the Upper Greensand and Lower Lias limestone plateau at the edge of the Somerset levels — calcareous formations that yield moderately hard groundwater with elevated calcium from the Jurassic limestone and Cretaceous greensand cements. South West Water's south Somerset supply zone draws on these formations alongside surface catchment water from the Axe and Chard Reservoir system. The resulting 192.5 mg/L with TDS 507.9 mg/L reflects the moderately calcareous geological character of this south Somerset limestone-greensand transition zone.

At 192.5 mg/L, limescale is a noticeable household concern in Chard. 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 supply is characteristic of south Somerset market towns on the Jurassic limestone and Upper Greensand belt of the Somerset–Dorset border country.