Stourport-on-Severn Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Severn Trent Water supplies Stourport-on-Severn, a canal and river town in Worcestershire at the confluence of the River Stour and River Severn. The town's water is drawn from a blend of the River Severn and groundwater from the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone aquifer underlying the West Midlands, treated at Trimpley Water Treatment Works upstream on the Severn. At 114 mg/L (8.0°Clark), Stourport-on-Severn's water is moderately soft — reflecting the relatively low mineral content of the Severn system, which originates in the soft-rock uplands of mid-Wales.

The River Severn rises in the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales, draining acidic moorland and Ordovician and Silurian sedimentary rocks with minimal calcium carbonate content. By the time the river reaches Stourport, it has accumulated only modest mineral loads compared to chalk or limestone rivers in south-east England. The Sherwood Sandstone aquifer adds some groundwater hardness from interstitial cements and minor carbonate horizons, but the dominant soft-water character of the Severn system keeps the blended supply within the moderately soft range.

At 114 mg/L, Stourport-on-Severn's water is among the softer supplies in the English Midlands. Limescale accumulates slowly; descaling the kettle every six to eight weeks is typically sufficient. The combi-boiler benefits from a standard scale inhibitor as good practice, but aggressive limescale build-up is unlikely. Washing-up liquid lathers well at normal quantities, and taps develop only light limescale deposits after several weeks. A monthly wipe with white vinegar or a mild descaling solution keeps fittings clean. Residents will find the water is kind to appliances compared to the harder-water areas of the South East.