Drinking water in Peterborough is actually GOOD for you, says analysis

Peterborough has some of the hardest water in the UK, according to latest studies.
Households in Peterborough are supplied by 'hard' water from rivers and reservoirs by Anglian Water.Households in Peterborough are supplied by 'hard' water from rivers and reservoirs by Anglian Water.
Households in Peterborough are supplied by 'hard' water from rivers and reservoirs by Anglian Water.

Water company ViDrate, which makes electrolyte rehydration sachets for health and fitness fans, has analysed water supplies across the UK in their Water Index to reveal why householders’ water tastes so different from region to region, the areas with the worst water issues and which part of the country has the most fluoride added.

The ‘hardness’ of water is determined by how many dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, the water contains. The higher the concentration of minerals, the harder the water is considered to be.

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In areas where the water has to journey through porous rocks, such as limestone and chalk, to reach your tap, the water absorbs these minerals, resulting in hard water.

The majority of the UK (70 per cent) has hard water, particularly in southern areas, with Ipswich and Suffolk receiving the hardest water in the UK, classified as ‘very hard’, while Peterborough supplied by Anglian Water, is graded one step below, with ‘hard’ water levels.

Northern towns and cities have the softest waters, with Scottish water being the softest in the UK due to the very small amounts of chalk and limestone found in Scotland.

You can check out the hard water index map here.

ViDrate says soft water is thought to have less of a taste, resulting in it often being the preferred choice for drinking and the best for making cups of tea and coffee (perhaps why northerners are known for making the best brews!). On the other hand, minerals from hard water are said to add ‘flavour’ which some people enjoy, while others dislike the ‘chemical’ taste and rougher texture. It all depends on your taste buds.

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While both hard and soft water are good for your health, says the company, hard water can be considered slightly better due to its mineral content, including calcium, magnesium and iron. In fact, in certain areas of the country, it is possible to receive your recommended daily dose of such minerals just from drinking tap water, which can help protect against heart disease and strokes, meaning hydrating from a tap in Peterborough can be good for your health.

Fluoride is added to water in certain parts of the UK to prevent tooth decay. Despite being presented as a controversial subject, ViDrate says the levels of fluoride added to tap water is a completely safe and effective way of improving oral hygiene. In fact, research shows that among children aged one to four, hospital admissions due to tooth decay are 50 per cent less in fluoridated areas.

Peterborough is ranked 16 across the country’s top fluoridated districts, with two areas having naturally occurring flouride.

Whilst in the UK we are lucky enough to have safe drinking water, it is not without vast amounts of safety measures in place behind the scenes. Risks to water quality, such as contamination of water supply and water plant failure, arise on a regular basis and are assessed using the Event Risk Index (ERI) score to determine its seriousness, management and impact.

Fortunately Peterborough does not figure in these rankings.

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ViDrate are on the hunt for the UK’s worst tap water. The winner will win a year’s supply of ViDrate to improve the taste of their water for a whole year that is worth over £175.

All that’s needed is a picture of your tap water, three words to describe its taste and to submit all of this on ViDrate’s competition page.

The link to enter the with all the terms and conditions is here.

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