For residents of East Wittering, unless you take remedial action and get a water softener installed in your home, you’ll be living with consistently hard water flowing from your taps. If there’s any consolation, it’s much the same story throughout the rest of West Sussex, Hampshire and East Sussex. This is because the whole region lies on chalky or clay-based soil, which contains minerals like calcium and magnesium. Rain actually falls as soft water but, when it comes into contact with these minerals, it becomes hard.

In East Wittering, the water hardness levels are at around 280 parts per million (ppm). Anything registering over 200ppm is said to be hard. If it gets to 300ppm, then it’s time to start thinking about wearing a tin hat in the shower!

Annual rainfall: 36.5inch or 928mm. 

The coastal village of East Wittering is situated in the Chichester district of West Sussex. Located on the B2179 road in an area known as the Manhood Peninsula, the western edge of the village creeps over into neighbouring West Wittering. In the 2011 census, the entire ward had a population of 5117. A war memorial on the eastern junction of the B2179 with Cakeham road includes reference to East Wittering being a ‘Thankful Village’.

This part of the county features Bracklesham Bay, extremely popular with the surfing community and home to one of the UK’s oldest surf clubs, Shore Surf Club. With its low beach gradient and no undue currents, it is an ideal spot for learners.