Why is the tap water in Portslade so hard?

Portslade, like so much of Sussex and elsewhere throughout the south-east, suffers from hard water. Don’t blame it on rainwater – that’s naturally soft. The issue lies in the soil under our feet.

You see Portslade lies on mainly chalky soil. This is rich in calcium and magnesium minerals. Whenever rain reaches the underlay, these minerals have the effect of changing the water from soft to hard. What a swizz!

For residents of Portslade who aren’t enamoured with persistently hard water, the savvy move would be to have a water softener installed. The benefits will be virtually instantaneous! Take skin and hair, for instance. They love soft water. It ensures they stay wonderfully soft, shiny and vibrant. Laundry, too, is always much softer to the touch with soft water flowing through the pipework.

Conversely, hard water is also the primary cause of limescale. The good news is that water softeners are great at getting rid of scale, stopping it from accumulating in household appliances, like washing machines, dishwashers and kettles. They all work far better with softened water on the go. Cleaning bathrooms and kitchens is also much simpler – and less costly – since surfaces need less elbow grease and detergents to stay looking pristine. Money goes much further with softened water flowing through your boiler. This stops it collecting any scale. Instead, it is far more energy efficient. Good news with mounting fuel bills! Hard water will also dramatically downgrade your heating system. The longer you use it, the quicker your boiler will need replacing!

The water hardness reading of 280 parts per million (ppm) in Portslade is at the higher end of the scale. Any reading above 200ppm is considered hard.

Portslade – an Overview

Annual rainfall: 19.76inch or 502mm.

Portslade is a western suburb of Brighton and Hove, which expanded rapidly with the railway connection from Brighton in 1840. In 1896, the area was granted urban district status and renamed Portslade-by-Sea. Today, Portslade is bisected from east to west by the old A27 road – now the A270 – between Brighton and Worthing.

The old Portslade Village to the north still retains its rural character, with flint buildings and a small parish church dating back to 1150. Another notable building, Portslade Manor, is one of the few surviving ruins of a Norman manor.

Portslade-by-Sea, to the south, comprises the busy seaport harbour basin of Shoreham harbour and is Brighton and Hove’s industrial heartland. The main shopping area is on Station Road. Boundary Road, in neighbouring Hove, is the site of Portslade and West Hove station, with direct trains to London Victoria.