Charlton Kings Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Severn Trent Water supplies Charlton Kings, the eastern suburb of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire — a handsome Regency and Victorian residential village that retains its own distinct character east of Cheltenham town centre, set at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment with direct access to Leckhampton Hill and the Cotswold Way — from the River Severn and Cotswold Limestone spring blend in the east Cheltenham supply zone, treated at Mythe Water Treatment Works near Tewkesbury on the confluence of the Severn and the Avon. At 194 mg/L (13.6°Clark), Charlton Kings' water is hard — consistent with the significant calcareous contribution from the Jurassic Oolite and Inferior Oolite (Cotswold Limestone) geology that defines the escarpment above the town.

Charlton Kings lies directly below the Cotswold escarpment where Jurassic Oolitic Limestone springs feed the Chelt Valley tributaries. Severn Trent Water's Mythe works treats River Severn supply blended with Cotswold limestone spring water, producing 194 mg/L with TDS 510.6 mg/L — hard water with a somewhat elevated TDS/hardness ratio (2.6) reflecting additional calcium sulphate from Jurassic gypsum beds within the Cotswold limestone sequence, consistent with the Cheltenham–Cotswold fringe supply from Prestbury through Charlton Kings to Leckhampton.

At 194 mg/L, limescale is a consistent household challenge in Charlton Kings. Kettles benefit from descaling every three to four weeks. The combi-boiler should be fitted with a scale inhibitor and serviced annually. Washing-up liquid requires more product per wash. Taps and shower heads develop visible white limescale deposits within one to two weeks; a fortnightly wipe with white vinegar or a proprietary descaling product keeps fittings clean. The hard Cotswold limestone supply at Charlton Kings is a reflection of the beautiful Jurassic limestone escarpment that rises above the village — the same calcium-rich rock that created the great Regency spa town a mile to the west.