A new study has revealed that Buckinghamshire is one of the areas in England with the hardest water.

The research, from hard water softener experts, Aspect, looked at the water hardness scores of counties across the country where they categorised them as having soft, moderately hard, hard, or very hard water. 

The results revealed that Bucks is in ninth place overall when ranked against the other English counties.

It has a water hardness score of 286, placing it in the ‘very hard’ category. 

Bucks Free Press: The list of counties with the hardest waterThe list of counties with the hardest water (Image: NA)

James Hays, Technical Manager of Plumbing, Heating and AC at property maintenance experts Aspect, said: “While hard water isn’t usually a risk to your health, it can have a significant effect on plumbing fixtures, causing corrosion, damage and reduced functionality, and increasing the risk of water leaks.

“The South East of the UK is mainly made up of chalk and limestone regions and as a result, has the hardest water.

“The good news is that there are measures that you can take to help protect your plumbing fixtures from these issues.

“If you live in an area with hard or very hard water, purchasing a water softener may solve these problems for you, by replacing the hardness in the water with sodium ions.”