Newport Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Severn Trent Water supplies Newport, a north Shropshire market town near Telford in Telford and Wrekin — a community whose medieval market charter and handsome Georgian and Victorian buildings reflect its historical importance as a north Midlands coaching town on the road between Shrewsbury and the Potteries — from the Elan Valley Welsh aqueduct blended with Triassic Sandstone (Sherwood Sandstone) and Triassic Mercia Mudstone groundwater in the north Shropshire supply zone, treated at Wrexham Water Treatment Works. At 222 mg/L (15.6°Clark) and a TDS of 665 mg/L, Newport's water is hard with a notably elevated TDS/hardness ratio (3.0) indicating significant non-carbonate mineral content — likely sulphate from Triassic Keuper Marl gypsum dissolution in the north Shropshire–Cheshire plain.

Newport lies on the Staffordshire–Shropshire Triassic Plain where the Triassic Mercia Mudstone (Keuper Marl) with its gypsum (calcium sulphate) veins underlies the agricultural lowland east of Telford. Severn Trent Water's north Shropshire supply zone blends soft Welsh Elan Valley aqueduct supply with substantial Triassic Sandstone and Mercia Mudstone groundwater, the latter contributing elevated sulphate hardness alongside the calcium carbonate hardness to produce 222 mg/L with TDS 665 mg/L — hard, sulphate-rich water characteristic of the north Shropshire Triassic gypsum-influence zone.

At 222 mg/L, limescale is a persistent household challenge in Newport. Kettles should be descaled monthly. The combi-boiler benefits from a fitted scale inhibitor and annual professional servicing. Washing-up liquid requires more product per wash than in softer areas. 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 and prevents staining from building up permanently in this hard north Shropshire Triassic gypsum-influenced supply zone.