The quality of water varies greatly across the UK. We have ‘soft

’ water in the north and ‘hard’ water in the south.

Water hardness is determined by the concentration levels of minerals – particularly calcium and magnesium. Water may become hard by passing through rocks that are rich in these minerals.

Hard water leads to limescale forming on plumbing, and will reduce the efficiency of your house’s heating if not removed. It also reduces the lathering action of soap, so you have to use more soap when taking a shower. However, drinking hard water is comparatively beneficial to the heart.

The taste is different, too. We have a water softener installed in our house, so I can compare the two types of water. I can easily tell you that tea tastes better (to me) with hard water. Interestingly, the Yorkshire Tea company makes two different types of tea: one for hard water, and one for soft.