18
member firms
Quality Water Association
Honest, independent advice about the water in your home
Plenty of companies say they give impartial advice about hard water while selling you their own products. We're different. The QWA is a group of genuinely independent local experts, here to give you clear information and honest answers.
21
counties covered
Every installation tested and certified
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All articles and guides What do you need help with?
Hard water and limescale
Most of the UK has hard water. The chalk and minerals in it leave scale on taps, showers and kettles, and build up inside boilers and appliances, making them work harder and wear out sooner.
Drinking water
UK tap water is safe to drink, but taste, smell and what's in it vary from area to area. Filters and drinking water systems can improve it, and a member can explain which option suits your home.
Other water problems
Cloudy glasses, blue stains on baths and basins, dry skin and boiler worries can all be linked to your water. Find out what causes them and what can be done.
TRUST INWATER
The QWA standard
Better Water Guaranteed
Whether you are struggling with hard water, or looking to improve the taste of your drinking water, each QWA member will help you get better water.
What our members do
Help at every stage, with no sales pitch
QWA members are local, independent water treatment specialists. They aren't tied to any manufacturer, so their advice starts with your water, not a product.
Honest advice
Straight answers on whether a water softener would help your home. And if it wouldn't, they'll tell you.
Water softeners
Supply and professional installation of a softener that's the right size for your home, not the one on promotion.
Drinking water
Filters and drinking water systems for cleaner, better-tasting water from your kitchen tap.
Service & repair
Servicing and repairs for any make of softener or filter, including ones our members didn't fit.
Find an expert
Talk to an independent expert near you
Local professionals, vetted by the QWA. Free water test, honest advice, no pressure. And no call centre.
Check your water
How hard is your water?
Hardness is simply how much dissolved chalk and limescale is in your water. It's measured in parts per million (ppm). The higher the number, the more scale on your kettle, shower screen and boiler. Some suppliers call anything under 100 ppm "soft". Truly soft water sits at the bottom of this scale.
Soft under 17.1 ppm
Slightly hard 17.1-60 ppm
Moderately hard 60-120 ppm
Hard 120-180 ppm
Very hard over 180 ppm
Not sure where you sit? Your water company publishes your local hardness, or a QWA member will test it for you, free, before recommending anything.
Why we exist
"Independent" should mean independent
"Some of the biggest names in water softening call themselves impartial advisers while selling their own brand. We formed the QWA to show homeowners there's an alternative: local experts with no brand to push and nothing to hide."
Truly independent
Our members are local businesses, not a national brand in disguise. No manufacturer owns us or pays us.
Plain English
Clear information you can check for yourself. No jargon, no small print, no scare stories.
Honest, even when it costs a sale
If your water is already soft, a QWA member will tell you to keep your money.
Resources
View all articles Straight answers to common questions
Guide
Do you actually need a water softener?
An honest look at when a softener is worth it, and when it isn't.
The short answer
Over 120 ppm, clearly worth it. Under 60 ppm, probably not. Check your figure first, it takes two minutes.
Explainer
Is softened water safe to drink?
What the evidence and UK regulations say, without the scare stories or the sales pitch.
The short answer
Yes, for almost everyone. If you're on a medically prescribed low sodium diet, keep a separate unsoftened tap for drinking.
Explainer
What does hard water cost you?
How limescale affects boilers, appliances and heating bills in hard water areas.
The short answer
Limescale makes boilers and heating elements work harder, so they use more energy and wear out sooner. The worse your water, the bigger the effect.
Our members
Setting the Standard for Water Quality in the UK
Every QWA member is an independent local firm signed up to the QWA standard: honest advice, tested results, certified installations.
Run an independent water treatment business?
Join the association that puts honest advice first. Membership is open to genuinely independent UK specialists.