The Water Dictionary

Tap Water in NE39

Honey Hill ZoneNorthumbrian Water

Tap water in Honey Hill Zone, supplied by Northumbrian Water, has the character of soft upland reservoir water, common in the north and west. It's soft water, low in dissolved minerals, with a total hardness of 63 mg/L as CaCO₃.


Mineral composition

mg/L
Calcium23
Magnesium1
Sodium7
Sulfate48
Chloride9
Bicarbonate15

Additional info

Hardness62.54 as CaCO₃
Alkalinity12.2 as CaCO₃
pHawaiting data
Conductivityawaiting data
SourceNorthumbrian Water
Data year2024

What this means

Kettle & appliances

At this level of hardness, limescale is essentially a non-issue. Kettles, boilers, and heating elements will stay clean without treatment.

Espresso

Soft water is forgiving on espresso machines (no scale risk) but can produce a thinner, more acidic shot. The low mineral content means less buffering, so bright and sour notes tend to dominate. That said, lighter roasts can shine here in ways they won't in harder water.

Filter & pour-over

This is where soft water shows its range. A V60 or Chemex will produce a bright, clean, highly readable cup with clear origin character. Light and medium roasts tend to be at their most expressive. It can tip into sourness with very light roasts, but for most specialty filter coffee, this water is close to ideal.

Drinking & cooking

This water tastes clean and neutral. It lathers easily, rinses cleanly, and won't leave mineral deposits on glassware or cookware.

Bicarbonate

Water with very little buffering capacity: mash pH will drop readily without intervention, which suits pale, base-malt beers well, and espresso will tend bright and acidic with clearly readable fruit and floral notes, though it may tip into sourness with lighter roasts.


Closest water profiles


Nearby areas


Data sourced from Northumbrian Water (2024). Looking for a specific address? Look up your full postcode for the most accurate result.